Hot in the City
by charlibubble
Summary: Catherine invites the team to Sam's Villa by the lake for the weekend. will she and Warrick survive the fall out and can Sara and Grissom keep their little secret? GSR CWR set season 7 around the time of 'burn out' xx
1. Chapter 1

This was exactly what the team needed thought Catherine adjusting her cleavage in the mirror, it wasn't often the team got to spend some time together, especially something which kept them all away from the lab for two days worth of shifts. Her pull with Conrad Ecklie had finally pulled off and he had agreed to have their shift covered. 2 days worth of double shifts were awaiting them when they returned however but it was a small price to pay.

Catherine looked around the large room she was standing in, she would never have known about this place if her mother hadn't found that old photo. Sam may have been her father but she by no means knew everything about him. this villa by the lake had been a pleasant surprise albeit probably an illegitimate one since it didn't appear anywhere in the legal papers she had received when he died.

It had been no mean feat getting everyone to agree either. Warrick had almost had to bribe his wife into coming along and Sara and Grissom appeared completely repulsed by the idea. Those two seriously had to get their heads out of the sand and get it on, she thought to herself smiling. Maybe she could use their time away from work to do a little matchmaking. Greg had been his usual enthusiastic self, he needed some fun more than most of the team right now. She had been proud of the way he had dealt with his beating but the scars were still there, maybe not the physical ones but Greg hadn't quite been the same person since, and Nick well, she could always count on her Nicky to be there for her. even Brass was coming along. He preferred socialising with the CSI's. he had once been their boss after all and intellectually he was on a par to them rather than some of his charge's in the police department.

Her father had done well with this place, she thought as she moved through the rooms. The master bedroom had been the size of a small house and it boasted another 6 bedrooms of slightly smaller size each with their own bathroom. Luxury didn't quite cover the grand entrance hallway or the impressive lounge space. Catherine herself had gasped when she first stepped through the doors, being taken in by the shining crystal chandeliers and sparkling marble floor. She had cursed herself for her materialism then, reminding herself that she wasn't about that. That she couldn't be bought over with some over expensive furniture and a games room. the games room was a place where she was sure that the boys would be found for most of this weekend. She smiled as she thought of them bickering over a game of pool or playing computer games on the massive cinema screen. Sam certainly knew how to live she had to give him that.

She took one last stroll around the building making sure everything was in place before she took a seat on the porch with a drink in her hand. She was looking forward to this weekend. If for nothing else she would get to meet Warrick's mysterious wife, that was someone she had a personal interest in. there was no denying she and Warrick had an attraction to each other. The hormones and sexual tension flying around that lab must have been flammable she thought smiling. The wife had put a certain amount of dampener on that spark but it would never go away completely.

Her mind wandered to Grissom and Sara, she had tried countless times to get Grissom to see how much she loved him but he was completely inept when it came to women. Many times in the past she had felt terrible for Sara with the way he had treated her and the worst part was that he didn't even realise what he was doing. She had to admit they had been a lot better of late and the easy flirting and innuendo's had not gone unnoticed with her. If she got the chance this weekend she would make sure Grissom finally did something about it. 7 years was just about long enough for everyone.

Headlights lit up the tree's ahead of her and she stood up quickly excited at the prospect of showing of her new toy to the team, even if Grissom didn't approve which she knew he wouldn't. she waved her arm around to get their attention as the cars pulled up on the driveway. This was gonna be good.


	2. Chapter 2

"won't it look a little suspect, us arriving together?" Sara asked as she loaded her bag into the trunk of Grissom's car.

"we've been in cars together before Sara, I'm sure Catherine won't think anything of it"

She nodded slowly as she sat in the passenger's seat and fiddled with the stereo. This was a bad idea, she knew it was a bad idea. She had tried to get out of it, she and Grissom had both volunteered to cover the shifts for the rest of the team but Catherine wouldn't take no for an answer and she could be very persistent.

"I'm not listening to any ear shattering rock music on the way" Grissom remarked as he took his place in the car.

"you're the driver, Gil. that means I'm the DJ"

She smiled over at him as he rolled his eyes playfully before placing a kiss on her forehead. How on earth were they going to cope with an entire weekend surrounded by the team? They were struggling to cover up their relationship at work as it was, she was sure Greg had figured it out already. Speaking of Greg, his name was lighting up on her cellphone. He had called her 6 times this morning already. Talk about over excited.

"hello Greg" she rolled her eyes towards Grissom as he pulled out of their Garage.

"we are literally pulling out of the Garage right now"

she closed her eyes and shook her head at her stupid mistake as Greg questioned her as to why she wasn't getting picked up at her apartment.

"I drove to Grissom's this morning, his apartment's on the way to yours"

"we'll be there soon"

She closed her phone and looked at Grissom.

"a whole weekend of that?"

He smiled at her "what did he say?"

"we've not to do anything he wouldn't do"

Grissom laughed "that doesn't leave out very much"

She smiled and looked out of the window, they wouldn't be doing much of anything this weekend she thought. 2 whole days away from the lab should have been bliss, she could just imagine the fun they could have, most of it in the confines of their own cosy bedroom. Greg appeared in her view smiling manically as they pulled up. He had been bugging her about this weekend for the past 2 weeks, convinced Sam would have some buried treasure somewhere or some 'hot' weapons.

"it will be fine" said Grissom before Greg approached the car "I promise"

She eyed him nervously, she wasn't so sure. Greg climbed into the backseat with his ridiculous trilby hat tilted forwards in a nod to the 'old Vegas' idols he held so dear. She loved Greg dearly but by being so close with him he was most likely to be the one to notice something going on between her and their supervisor.

"if you drove to Grissom's on your way to mine, why are we in his car?" he whispered in her ear.

She didn't answer him, she knew it wasn't a question but she also knew that while he would enjoy teasing her an immense amount she could count on his discretion almost as much as she could count on his loyalty.

She could almost feel him beaming behind her and try as she might she couldn't stifle the grin which played on her lips. It felt kind of good having someone know their little secret. Not that she was about to shout it from the rooftops, Grissom had always been wary of their relationship because they worked together and she had known that when she got involved with him. her discretion was part of the deal, even if he had never specified that they were to remain a secret. If she was honest it was quite fun. She loved making little comments and gestures in work, teasing him, driving him wild and then reaping the rewards at home away from the prying eyes of the team.

She sighed as she watched the desert whiz past their car, Greg was off on one of his long winded tales with no actual point and she had stopped listening a while ago. there would be no reward reaping this weekend with Catherine on patrol. She was under no illusions that Catherine wouldn't be watching their every move. Smiling her knowing smile at them and winking she could just picture it now and she shuddered at the thought. No, they would have to be on best behaviour. They could handle 2 days surely, couldn't they?


	3. Chapter 3

Warrick slammed the door angrily and headed towards Nick's car. She was being completely unreasonable and he wasn't about to let her away with it. She'd had plenty of notice about this weekend but she couldn't have told him in time, no that wouldn't have been dramatic enough for her.

"_we've had this arranged for weeks Tina, why now?"_

"_you think I wanted to go swanning off to your little piece of ass's house for a picnic? Get real Warrick, I'm sure you'll both have a lovely weekend together"_

"_what on earth are you talking about girl?"_

"_you know fully well who I'm talking about. Catherine this and Catherine that"_

Warrick was stunned into silence, in fact her falsified argument didn't even deserve and answer, if she wanted him in the arms of Catherine Willows then that was exactly where she was pushing him.

He threw his bag into Nick's trunk and took his seat beside him taking a deep breath. He had to cool down., a weekend away was just what he needed and he could think of nowhere better than a secluded villa with the people he had come to call his family.

"hey what's up with you? Where's Tina?" Nick asked hastily unsure whether to drive on or wait for her.

"she's not coming, can we just get going please?"

"everything ok?"

"yea man, I could really use a beer"

"hey me too, you sure you're ok?"

"she is driving me crazy"

"don't they all"

They laughed and Nick looked over at the apartment and Tina was standing at the window. She shot him a frosty glare and folded her arms. He decided it best not to get involved in a domestic this early in the day and drove on heading towards Brass' apartment building.

"where's the wife?" asked Brass as he ducked into the backseat.

"she's not coming" Warrick was getting tired of the question already.

"that's too bad, I was looking forward to testing out her cooking skills."

Warrick was still stewing when they arrived at the villa, the journey had gone by in almost silence. As they drove through the thick canopy of tree's they could hear the chatter and laughter of their team mates ahead of them and Warrick knew he had made the right decision. His marriage to Tina was falling apart, she was convinced he was having an affair with Catherine. He smiled a little as he thought of it and saw her standing on the porch smiling happily, what he wouldn't give to be actually having an affair with Catherine he thought before quickly removing the thought from his mind. He wanted to make a go of his marriage, he had been trying so hard but she just didn't understand the nature of his work or his bond with the team. Or, well, anything about him really.

He thought she would have been happy at being invited to their little get together but she had made every excuse she could think of eventually just deciding to refuse at the last minute. She probably thought that he would stay too but he wasn't going to let them down like that. He needed a break too. A break from his work but more importantly a break from her.

Catherine approached him as he stepped out of the car and held him in a hug.

"where's Tina?"

"she's not coming Cath, I'm sorry."

"is everything ok?"

He wasn't totally sure if it was concern or hope in her voice.

"she thinks we're having an affair"

Catherine laughed to the point that she almost choked.

"and you still came_ here_?" she asked with disbelief.

"she'll believe what she wants to believe. There's nothing I can do about that but I wasn't about to go letting my team down"

His eyes followed Catherine as she walked a few steps in front of him, allowing him full view of her figure hugging dress. He was sure this was intentional and he knew that he could be in for a test of his willpower this weekend. He wasn't sure he wanted to resist, if she had already convinced herself of an affair what harm could it really do?


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok so this is my first attempt at a little bit of the hot stuff, let me know how I'm doing as I intend to heat it up as the story goes on ;) any feedback/tips gratefully received so get reviewing – thanks in advance x**

Grissom absentmindedly pulled both his and Sara's bags from the trunk of the car and walked towards the house. She hadn't noticed as she was chatting to Greg and Catherine as they waited for the rest of the guests to arrive.

Inside the house Grissom approached the bedrooms and found himself dumbfounded as to what to do with the bags. He stood in the corridor fighting with his little internal debate; he wanted more than anything to be able to put both bags in the same room but his act of even taking her bag was enough to fuel Catherine's insatiable gossiping.

"You ...uh ... took my bag"

He turned to face her smiling and cautiously peering around the corridor.

"I'm sorry, force of habit"

They stood in the corridor locked in their eye contact and considering their predicament.

"how do you want to do this then?"

Grissom was completely bewildered, was she really propositioning him right here in the corridor? With the whole team right there?

She smiled widely at him, realising what he thought she implied.

"with the bedroom's Griss"

Her laugh rang through his ears like bells and he longed to kiss her more than she knew. She slowly backed into the bedroom directly in front of them without breaking her eye contact and he just couldn't resist. Every fibre of his being made him step into that room after her and pull her close to him.

With her body pressed against his he couldn't help but react, and she smiled at the knowledge she had that affect on him. she ran her hand down his chest and kissed him passionately pulling on his shirt.

"we could get into trouble" she whispered

"I already am"

She kicked the door closed and he slipped the lock over. they were already failing at their best behaviour pact and they had barely been there an hour.

Grissom slid his shirt off his broad shoulders and ran his hands down her back sliding down her zipper as he went. They turned and he sat on the bed as she allowed her dress to fall to the floor revealing the lace underwear underneath. He could usually pride himself on his self control, he could usually ignore his animal instincts but she could drive him wild. He lightly fingered the edges of her panties kissing her smooth stomach sensually as she closed her eyes.

"we don't have time for all this fooling around Gil"

When she whispered in his ear he felt his entire body react to her, she was basically asking him for a quickie but as always he wanted nothing more than to savour her body and watch her lose control over and over again.

She slipped her legs onto the bed so that she was straddling him, teasing him with her movements , rocking over his swelling and pushing her body closer to his as they kissed. He slipped off his shoes and socks and leaned back as she helped him remove his trousers. On her way back to his mouth she playfully flicked his erection with her tongue encouraged by the gasping moan that escaped his lips.

He removed her bra with surprising ease and kissed and licked her nipples as she moved herself onto him and slowly moved her hips back and forth. As he filled her she held her breath stifling the moan that threatened to escape her lips. Her whole body shook as his hands found her tight behind and helped her rhythm speed up as she swung her head back and arched her back.

Their movements were pushing her to euphoria and her body moved faster and harder until she couldn't help but gasp and moan as quietly as she could bear, she trembled visibly as she reached her climax and this sent him right over the edge and he held her close as they both reached their climax silently gasping into the room and breathing heavily.

He lay back on the bed sweating and attempting to regain his composure as she settled into the crook of his shoulder. they were reassured by the sounds of chattering outside and Sara began to laugh quietly at the thought of what they had just done in such close proximity to the team.

"we're not doing very well, Gil. We barely lasted 2 hours"

He smiled as he watched her redress, possibly the excitement of being caught had added to their passion. He vowed silently to himself to exercise more control. They didn't have to fall into bed every time they were alone together. She retaliated to his smug expression by throwing him his shirt.

"are you trying to tell me to leave?"

They hastily dressed and made the room look presentable throwing each other knowing glances as they did so. Grissom heaved Sara's bag onto the bed.

"your playing big strong man very well this weekend" she teased him.

"I do apologise, I shall try not to be so helpful in future"

He slid has arms round her waist and kissed her softly on the crook of her neck. Her whole body tingled.

"are you trying for a replay Dr Grissom?"

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, making them jump apart like polarised magnets. They shot each other a frightened look as Grissom hastily opened the door.

Greg greeted them beaming his all knowing smile into the room excitedly.

"now what would you have done if I was Catherine?"

"I was just helping Sara to make the bed up, she brings her own sheets"

"Sure you were, that's why the door was locked and Sara that's creepy"

"Shut up Greg, what do you want?"

Sara knew she needed to distract him quickly lest he carry on for the whole weekend.

"Your presence is requested in the bar"

He said feigning a bad British accent and bowing as he backed out of the room.

"And next time I'm sending Catherine"


	5. Chapter 5

Nick propped up the bar quite happily, surveying the little redhead that Catherine had employed to mix cocktails for the weekend. He was a sucker for a redhead he had to admit.

From his position he could see the entire room, the huge overfilled sofa in front of the fire now occupied by Catherine and Warrick and the leather clad captain's chair taking pride of place in the centre of the room. Brass was wandering around examining all the paintings on the wall. He didn't have Brass pegged as an art connoisseur but he was sure he had his reasons.

Greg came bounding into the room a wide smile on his face, that boy could get seriously over excited about things. He headed to the chair beside Nick and ordered a drink.

"This is cool, big fancy house, free booze, staff"

He looked the bargirl over and raised an eyebrow in Nick's direction. Nick merely shook his head, he was nowhere near drunk enough to be gushing about how generous Catherine was being, he was still suspicious she was going to leave them. He half expected her to announce her retirement while they were there, ply them with free booze and then head for the hills? He wasn't sure that was Catherine's style.

Sara and Grissom joined them in the bar looking decidedly sheepish. They had been acting weird lately too, Nick wondered if there was something in the water lately at the lab. He was used to the sexual tension and the innuendos, he could cope with the flirting and the looks that they thought no-one noticed but lately they had been positively stale. He wondered vaguely whether Grissom had a girlfriend hidden somewhere. Let's face it he wasn't one to be taking time off even when he was due it but lately he had been almost avoiding the lab and he had definitely been avoiding Sara Sidle.

He promised himself he would discuss the subject with her after more drinks and pulled out the stool beside him for her to perch on. Grissom stood in the centre of the room; he could see he was torn with where to sit. Catherine and Warrick were deep in conversation and obviously inviting no visitors so Grissom choose instead to regale Brass with the story behind the painting he was staring at.

"So what's going on with Griss?"

He leaned in close to her so that Greg's gossip mongering ears couldn't hear him.

Sara regarded Grissom carefully, attempting to decipher exactly what Nick was asking her. She gave up.

"What do you mean?"

"Well he's acting weird lately, especially round you. Has he got himself a girlfriend?"

Sara smiled despite herself

"How would I know?"

"Well I dunno… you guys have a… kind of… _thing_ don't you?"

Sara picked up his drink and sniffed

"How many of these have you had Nicky?" she laughed but he could tell she was trying to change the subject

"You know what I mean and I have only had this one thank you"

She was narrowing her eyes at him, he new that this was Sidle code for leave it alone but he was too curious now and he smiled at her urging her to answer his question.

"I don't know what you mean, we do not have a _thing,_ if Grissom did have a girlfriend I'd be the last to know"

Nick wasn't sure whether to be amused or sympathetic towards her comment, he knew that Sara would always have a soft spot for Grissom, he may have accidentally hit a nerve.

"…. Because of your _thing" _he laughed as she punched his arm.

"Just order me a drink and shut up"

He dutifully obliged as the rest of the team gathered around the bar, each one of them ordering their own drinks.

Catherine smiled at everyone and raised her glass.

"To friends" she said

Warrick clinked his glass against hers "to family"

The look that passed between them did not go unnoticed, maybe Sara and Grissom were not the couple to watch this weekend thought Nick to himself as he joined in the toast, Catherine and Warrick could prove to be ten times the trouble.

Sara and Grissom were like kindred spirits, they were destined to be together but with Catherine and Warrick there could only be fire. He was sure it would be a strong and passionate fire but fire could be unpredictable and he'd hate to be around to see the carnage after that one burnt out.


	6. Chapter 6

It was really only a matter of time before the boys found the games room. With the alcohol flowing freely Nick and Greg had wandered off to explore the house and from the futuristic beeping and zapping coming from the large basement room he figured they had come across the computer games.

He regarded Sara carefully as she sat at the bar alone, would it be inappropriate for him to sit with her? She turned to look at him as though sensing his gaze and they smiled. If only they didn't have to over think every movement when they were with the team.

Brass was regarding them with some curiosity as Sara stood from the bar and made her way across the room, she whispered her goodnights to Catherine before standing at the door and locking eyes with Grissom again. Now Brass was certain he didn't mistake that look!

Grissom positively trembled under her gaze as she could be heard closing the huge front door behind her. His conscience was debating, under normal circumstances he would have followed her without a second thought but this wasn't normal circumstances, what was he supposed to do?

As Grissom fought his internal battle Brass was slowly reaching a conclusion, maybe it was the drink that was talking but he could see that there was something more going on between his two friends. He wondered how long they had been embroiled in a secret affair, the detective in him began to piece together lots of other little signs there had been over the last year or so. Had he been completely oblivious for that long? He watched his old friend nursing his drink, he was staring into the glass and then gazing out towards the window and Brass smiled to see this side of him. He was lovesick and Brass found that highly amusing. He cleared his throat bringing Grissom's attention to him before placing his empty glass on the small table in front of them.

"I'm going to go and catch up with the boys" he said nudging his head towards Sara.

"I'll probably turn in, it's been a long day"

Brass sighed, a little exasperated at his friend's inability to take the hint.

"Well you should probably go and check that _Sara_ is ok first…"

Grissom looked at his friend now, realising exactly what he was implying. The smile from Brass confirmed his suspicions. He wanted to ask him how long he had known but Brass was already heading out of the door.

Once again he found himself debating with himself. She had clearly wanted him to follow her but if Brass had noticed that then he was sure Catherine would have. As he drained his drink and stood up gauging the response he realised that Catherine wasn't noticing much of anything that night, her focus was all on Warrick. While the supervisor in him wanted to remind her about lab policy the woman outside clearing her throat impatiently reminded him that he would have to be a bit of a hypocrite to broach that subject with her.

The air was warm and heavy outside, Sara stood with her back to him leaning on the porch and looking over the still shining lake. She had probably been struck by its beauty and magic, he was struck by her's.

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

She turned round to smile at him, peering into the house behind him before taking his outstretched arm.

"I thought you'd never ask"

"Sometimes the subtle hints take a while to catch up with me"

She laughed "I've noticed"

They walked on for a while in comfortable silence, enjoying the sounds of nature as opposed to the roar of passing cars and the thud of clubs and casino's that filled the city air. Without noticing they had walked half way around the lake, they could see Catherine's Villa over the water, the lights casting an eerie reflection out onto the smooth surface. Sara broke away from his arm and walked along a little wooden jetty slipping off her shoes as she went. He stood there watching her entranced and intrigued at her spontaneity as she dipped her toes into the water.

Sitting beside her she noted he had not removed his shoes. He struggled at times with being spontaneous, his conscience worked far too hard. She leaned down and pulled them off, throwing them back onto the grass at the side of the lake and gently folding the bottom of his trousers. It was surprisingly sensual and he dutifully dipped his feet into the cool, clear water beside hers.

They sat like that in silence for a while, Sara leaning her head on his shoulder. They enjoyed their quiet moments. The lights at the villa were slowly switching off and they both knew that if they wanted to get back safely they would have to leave soon.

"Do you think we'll be missed?" she asked him quietly

"I don't think they'll even notice we're gone"

Grissom leaned down to her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, he could tease too. He barely touched her and pulled away. Sara wasn't about to let him away with that though, she grasped his shirt and moved closer to him kissing him properly this time. Their lips meeting and their tongues dancing under the moonlight. The electricity that coursed through each of their bodies took their breath away and even if they tried they couldn't stop their passion taking over.

His fingers lightly traced the line of her jaw, cupping her chin and looking into her eyes.

"Hmmm this could be a problem" she smiled gently grazing her hands over his bulging trousers "I think I should take care of it"

Before he could stage a protest she had removed his belt and was undoing his flies. It was always the way with her, by the time he finally realised what was actually going on he was powerless to stop it. He caught the cheeky glint in her eye as she took him into her hands and expertly stroked him into a frenzy.

His hands explored her body, following the curve of her hips and the plump flesh of her breasts. He gently danced his fingers along the inside of her thigh and kissed her neck, gratefully receiving the hums of pleasure that escaped her mouth. Encouraged by her response he slipped the soft cloth of her panties aside and felt around for the treasure inside, stroking and teasing until he could feel her trembling in his arms. He loved to see her like this, seeing her lose control under his touch turned him on more than she could know.

"Oh… Gil" she whispered breathing heavily into his chest

She pulled away from him then before he could have the satisfaction and for a moment he was completely bewildered as she stood and took a few steps back. Turning to look at her a smile crossed her face as she dropped her clothes to the floor and slipped into the water.

He wasn't sure he was ever going to be able to keep up with her.

He didn't really know what to do, should he join her in the water or enjoy the glorious view as she lay back and the moonlight defined her curves. As usual while he wasted time wrestling with his consciousness she had already made a decision and she slipped under the water before reappearing between his legs and playfully teasing him with her tongue.

She held his eye contact as she slowly brought her mouth closer to the tip of his erection, making sure he could feel her breath on the flesh before parting her lips and carefully exploring the sensitive area with her tongue.

"Sara?"

She hummed her response receiving a moan at the sensation it produced. He held her shoulders and pushed her away, looking into her eyes as she regarded him with confusion. He pulled his pants away and laid them on the jetty before slipping in the water. She laughed in total disbelief; she hadn't expected him to join her.

"You're going to be the death of me"

He whispered as he pulled her close placing kisses down her neck as she wrapped her legs around his torso. The water flowing around them created a unique sensation as he grasped her under her bottom and guided himself into her. A moan escaped her mouth as she arched her back and granted him full view of her body glistening with water. He was beginning to lose control as she matched his movements with her hips, pressing him against the side of the jetty until they both called out into the darkness of the night surrendering to their orgasm's and holding each other tight their breathing heavy and erratic.

They paused like that for what felt like forever, suspended in their mutual bliss, neither of them willing to release their grip on the other.

Grissom looked into her eyes before carefully lifting her onto the jetty and placing kisses up the inside of her thigh closing in on the soft folds of skin he was searching for. His fingers carefully parted the outer flesh as his tongue gently grazed the pink velvety interior. Her body shivered all over and he could feel the muscles in her thighs tense and tremble as her body bucked and she moaned his name, gasping for air.

"Please Gris… no... Gil please…. oh god!"

She lay back on the jetty breathing heavily and completely exhausted and he suddenly realised how late it must be, they could barely see the house now that the lights were off. He pulled himself out of the water to sit beside her, in their earlier position of dipping their feet in the water although they were decidedly less dressed by now.

"We better head back" he said resting a kiss on her forehead.

Stepping back into the house quietly they felt like naughty children playing hooky. Greg and Nick were both sleeping on the big sofa in the bar, Greg snoring loudly and muttering things in his sleep. Sara had to stifle a laugh on seeing them as they tiptoed past and towards the stairs. They loitered in the hallway, both desperate to collapse into each other's arms in bed but knowing it was a bad idea.

Grissom placed a slow intimate kiss on her lips

"Thank you" he whispered in her ear breathing in the scent of her hair.

"For what?"

"Everything, tonight was…."

"Amazing" she finished for him.

She smiled as she slowly closed her bedroom door. Maybe the weekend wasn't going to be so bad after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Catherine had felt his eyes on her since he arrived, their sexual chemistry was practically smoking but there was no way she would become a mistress. She'd been on the receiving end of that particular situation too many times and knew how it felt.

Still there was something about Warrick that was hard to resist.

And there was nothing wrong with a bit of innocent flirtation, nothing in the rule book about teasing him just a little was there?

She didn't waste her time freshening up, he had headed directly for the bar with Nick and she decided to join them. It would have almost been rude not to as Sara and Grissom had disappeared and Greg was excitedly talking to Brass about Sam's 'loot' which was supposedly hidden under the floor somewhere. She hoped he wasn't under the impression she was about to let him go pulling up the floors.

She took her place between her boys, smiling at their camaraderie as they playfully teased each other about women, sport and life in general. Her plan had worked perfectly and the alcohol was flowing freely as they all settled into the cosy comfort of the bar.

She had almost forgotten about Sara and Grissom, she had promised she would be keeping a close eye on them this weekend and now they had vanished, together. She wasn't sure whether to be suspicious or worried. Their relationship most of the time was either perfect or volatile and she could never be sure which page they were on.

"I'm going to go track down Grissom and Sara"

She directed it to the room in general and started to walk away, running her hand down the length of Warrick's arm to make sure he was watching her retreating figure.

She was stunned and almost thrown back in her seat by Greg hastily volunteering to do the tracking for her. Now was he trying to cover something up or trying to get an unsupervised snoop around the house? While she would have loved to have analysed the situation her mind was very aware of the fact that Warrick had now taken up a space on the huge leather sofa and was looking at her with those unmistakable 'come to bed' eyes. Her debate was now between chasing down a potential romance or having one of her own and she didn't mind admitting that she could be selfish at times.

She barely noticed as they all returned, time got away from her and she and Warrick were indulged in a deep conversation about love. They had very different stances on the subject. She had an open mind to the prospect of love but he was in the middle of a breakdown of his marriage, love was not what was on his mind right now.

Her head danced and twirled, she was beginning to get very tipsy as Warrick handed her yet another drink he had fetched from the bar. She knew when he was getting drunk, his normally rigid personal space boundaries were dropped considerably and they were sitting so close she could see the flecks and wisp's of brown in his green eyes. His hand was on her leg, gently drawing circles with his thumb. She was very aware of that hand all of a sudden, her eyes fixated on the movement of his thumb as he leaned even closer to her and brushed the hair out of her face, gently cupping her face in his palm.

She began to protest, her mouth opening and her eyes darting around the room.

It was empty.

When did it get empty?

Before she knew what was happening his lips had met hers and she was lost. Lost in their embrace, lost in his arms, lost in the softness of his velvety lips as they danced on hers. She wondered briefly whether she would be so lost if there hadn't been so much alcohol consumed but they were interrupted by Nick and Greg practically hauling Warrick down to the games room.

Catherine cursed their timing as she slowly made her way behind them, passing Brass as he staggered to the staircase. At some point she had lost track of Sara and Grissom again although she vaguely recalled Sara whispering something about going to bed a few hours ago.

She took the staircase down to the games room slowly, both because she was very much intoxicated and because she wanted to make sure Warrick took in the full effect of her red high heels and figure hugging dress. She was nothing if not manipulative with her body; it had always done her proud in the past.

The game had been an amicable draw, Catherine was certain she and Warrick would have won had Nick and Greg not decided halfway through the game to up sticks and relocate back to the bar. Warrick challenged her to a doubles match and who was she to refuse as she bent down seductively to take her shot.

Warrick was sober enough to know when he was in trouble and with the fire in Catherine's eyes as they played pool he was sure there would be trouble tonight. He thought he might actually burst when she bent over to take her shot, her heels defining her shapely legs and her dress hugging her curves just right. It was almost like an out of body experience as he saw his hand reach out to her, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her in close.

All thoughts of Tina had vanished from his mind as the floodgates of their passion were opened.

No turning back now that his tongue explored first her mouth and then the line of her neck down to her firm, responsive nipples. She was wild now, like he had never seen her before pulling off his shirt and running her nails over his shoulders as his hands slowly slipped her dress down to her waist. Before either of them knew what they were doing she was seated on the edge of the pool table and he was pounding his hips against her at a furious pace, grasping her hip with one hand and his other exploring her breasts, her neck, her mouth.

She lay back on the table allowing him full view as she encouraged him with her noises, she had longed to feel him inside her and she was not disappointed, he brought her to the brink and then slowed driving her wild with pleasure before she decided to take control. With his arm supporting her she swung herself around his body and expertly rocked and tilted her hips until they both shuddered to a stop their bodies pressed hard into each other beaded in sweat.

Without a word Warrick sat her back on the table, the brief eye contact that he gave her was enough for her to register his regret as he silently gathered his clothing and left the room.

They had made one huge mistake and they knew they would both have to pay for it.


	8. Chapter 8

Sara was up bright and early for her morning jog. As much as she hated mornings, especially early ones, she relished having some time to herself in the beautiful surroundings of the lake. As she made her way outside she was shocked to find Grissom standing on the porch waiting for her.

He never ran. He had once waxed lyrical about how pointless it was, running but never really getting anywhere, but there he was in full workout gear waiting for her to arrive and greeting her with a kind smile.

"Mind if I join you?"

She narrowed her eyes at him searching for the innuendo or the ulterior motive.

"You hate running…"

"I'll make an exception"

She simply took off at a leisurely jogging pace and he followed behind.

"How did you even know I'd be up at this time?"

"I heard you in the shower"

She smiled at him now as he kept pace beside her.

"Are you stalking me now Grissom?"

"Would you like that?"

She began to up the pace a little, almost breaking into a run as they approached a winding path which snaked up the hill at one side of the lake. Grissom wasn't unfit and he easily kept pace with her, secretly wondering what the fascination with running was.

The path ended on top of the hill, the trees and bushes gave way to glorious views that stretched for miles and the sun was just peeking over the horizon bathing everything in its warm orange glow. It was already baking hot as they collapsed onto the grass taking a well-earned rest.

"So why did you really come running?"

"I thought I could get some time alone with you this way"

His hand snaked around her waist and he pulled her close to him looking deep into her eyes before he brushed his lips against hers ever so slowly. He could drive her wild with those almost kisses, they always left her aching for more and he seemed to enjoy having the upper hand when she grabbed him for a proper kiss.

Not this time though, instead of pursuing the kiss in all its glory she simply sat there savouring his hold on her. Enjoying the feel of his arms around her and his heart pounding in his chest. She could wait until he was ready to give her a real kiss.

She didn't have to wait long until his lips met hers again, this time they were hungry and passionate and she smiled inwardly as she lay back on the long grass. When their kissing ended he propped himself up on his elbow and gazed into her eyes again as he gently stroked her arm. She knew they could both stay that way for the entire day; they didn't need fancy dinners or movies of vineyards. It was very rare for them to actually indulge in the act of going on a date. Their idea of heaven was this moment, just enjoying each other.

She suddenly became aware of his hand stroking her thigh, this was Grissom code and she knew it well.

"You're after a different kind of workout aren't you?"

She smiled, she loved teasing him about the inner workings of his mind. He somehow prided himself on the fact that no-one really knew him but since she had been practically studying his every move for 6 years now she was pretty confident she knew him better than most people.

By way of response he leaned forward and kissed her neck slowly and carefully. This was almost like an 'on' switch for her and he had enjoyed manipulating his power over it since its discovery. The soft stroking of his tongue and the tingle that the bristles of his beard gave her soon had her nibbling on his ear and running her nails gently down his back as he pressed against her.

She couldn't quite believe how much sex they had had on this break already. There must be something in the country air which sends city slickers like them into a frenzy of sweaty, passionate copulation at every given opportunity and it was accentuated by the fact that they had promised, swore and pledged that they would not, under any circumstances engage in sexual activity whilst on holiday with the team.

But god they were good at failing.

Her hand slowly slid into his shorts and worked its magic feeling him harden and grow. He slid down the zipper of her top and carefully dropped the straps of her vest top, his lips hungrily meeting her nipples as they poked out to greet the sunrise.

Before long their clothes were discarded and their bodies pressed against each other. She always marvelled at how they fit so well together, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He was seated, his back leaning on the trunk of a tree, his arms wrapped around her, supporting her weight as she slowly lowered herself onto him. The ecstasy of that simple act rushed through her quite violently and she buried her face in his neck for a moment composing herself enough to start grinding her hips.

As their tempo increased Sara rested her head on his and they locked eyes. This somehow made their moment of climax all the more passionate as they moved in synch. His hand reached for her face, forcing her to maintain eye contact until they were both pushed over the edge.

When they walked back into the house a while later everyone was having breakfast. They were met with bemused and curious expressions from their team mates as they sat at opposite sides of the long dining table.

"Where have you two been?"

Catherine was suspicious, Grissom going on an early morning jog was unheard of.

"Sara and I just went for a run this morning, did you know that running for 30 minutes a day can slow the ageing process and it releases endorphins making you feel happy - hence the term 'runner's high'?"

Sara and Grissom locked eyes over the table briefly, sharing their secret and smiling. Catherine reached over to Sara and pulled a long blade of grass from her hair.

"And this is a fashion accessory I presume?"


	9. Chapter 9

Catherine had decided on an avoidance technique with Warrick. She had been left on that pool table feeling dirty and rejected, she had been used by someone she cared about and that hurt.

A lot more than she thought it would.

Her head was pounding as she made her way down to the dining room. she needed a coffee badly and was glad to see that no-one else was around yet. Nursing her mug she began to think over the events of the previous night. she had been stupid, really stupid. Not only had she actively encouraged her friend to cheat on his wife but she had jeapordised both their career's. she wondered if Grissom had spotted them.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by Sara absentmindedly making her way outside in her workout gear. Obviously going for a jog, she could use some girl talk. Sara had been discreet and supportive when Catherine had suspected she was raped. She knew she could count on her with this as well. Making her way out towards the porch Catherine was stopped in her tracks by the sight of Sara's jogging companion. If it had been Warrick or Nicky she wouldn't have faltered a single bit but it was Grissom standing out there. god that man never stopped surprising her.

"Are you stalking me now Grissom?"

"Would you like that?"

She watched them as they conversed for a while, she could swear they were flirting. She was completely entraced by their interaction. They had certainly moved on from the awkward sideways glances and subtle flirting and since when did Grissom _jog_?

They were disappearing into the woods, she half wanted to follow them to see what else transpired in the privacy of nature. This was an interesting development and if she wasn't so hungover she probably would have gone after them. All the tension she had earlier about Warrick had vanished as she smiled at the new stage in her friends' relationship. It was about time.

That was until he arrived.

Warrick wasn't the kind of person to avoid things, if something was bugging him he addressed it and he intended to do just that with Catherine. He had made a major mistake. He had taken advantage and he had cheated and he was filled with anger at himself. He was even more angry at himself for just leaving her there like a cheap hooker. He and Catherine may have a complicated relationship but she deserved more than that, a lot more.

He wished he could give it to her.

She was smiling as he came down the stairs and he was surprised to see that. He wondered briefly if she could remember, if maybe the booze had erased the somewhat painful experience from her mind. There was no doubt when he looked at her though, the pain in her eyes felt like it was stabbing him as she blanked him and sat in the dining room.

He sighed as he approached her, he wasn't entirely sure how he was going to approach this. He wasn't really in the habit of sleeping with his co-workers behind his wife's back and then casually leaving them naked and dejected on a pool table in their own house.

"Catherine, I…"

She raised a hand to stop him throwing him a sad smile as she nursed another coffee.

"it's fine, I'd rather not talk about it"

He slipped into the chair opposite her, attempting to incite some eye contact.

"I need to talk about it"

Catherine had anger in her eyes now as she looked at him, he wasn't sure what he had said to upset her, he just wanted to make it right.

"you better go and find someone else then Warrick because I can't talk about it with you"

The subject was closed. Catherine had moved to the kitchen in her avoidance and he was left to the empty room and his own regrets.


	10. Chapter 10

The blade of grass hovered in front of her face like a target. Try as she might she couldn't form words, she stared at it as if bewildered but Catherine wasn't fooled. Not one bit she knew exactly how Sara had got the grass in her hair and she took great joy in calling her out on it. There could be a million reasons why it was there all she had to do was pick one. One measly reason but her usually brimming brain was empty. Completely void of information or even the ability to speak.

"Sara took a bit of a fall"

Grissom came to her rescue. Completely calm and unfazed as he ate his muesli without looking up. She frowned at him and looked at Catherine with a small smile on her lips and a gentle shrug.

"I'm ok though… just a little sprain"

"That's why we took so long" finished Grissom finally looking up from his breakfast.

His eye contact with Catherine told her to drop it and Sara didn't mind admitting she was a little impressed with this new side to Grissom. She tried really hard not to make eye contact with him during breakfast. She knew Catherine suspected something and would be watching them but there was something drawing her in. Forcing her eyes from their fixation on the table right to his, when she looked into his eyes it was always hard to look away. Even with the team chatting and laughing around them.

Catherine placed a hand on her shoulder as she stood to leave. It was a loaded gesture. Catherine may not have any proof but she was certain that something was going on and this was her way of letting Sara know.

The team scattered over the course of the day. Brass was teaching Greg the finer arts of fishing on the little jetty Sara recognised from the previous night. She hoped they hadn't left behind any souvenirs. Warrick and Grissom played a game of chess on the porch. She could see them out of the corner of her eye chatting easily as she curled up on the large swinging chair with a book. Nick and Catherine had decided to drive into town for some supplies. It was hot Nick was planning a big barbeque later, he had asked Doc Robbins and Super Dave to join them with their families it was looking to be a busy night.

She sighed as she surveyed her friends, she was so happy here. So calm and relaxed as the chair swung gently on the porch and the sun beat down on them. The heroine in her book was just about to get hot and heavy with the stable boy as Grissom approached her. She was so engrossed in the detailed descriptions that she didn't notice him until he sat beside her and she hastily clamped the book closed with a slap.

She looked around, very aware that his hand was on her leg.

"Where's Warrick?"

"He's gone for a walk; he has something on his mind"

She frowned at him, looking off into the woods where Warrick had disappeared.

They were alone. The air shifted and she felt it thick with sexual tension, his eyes practically burning into hers.

"What are you reading?"

He slipped his glasses on and slipped his own book out from his jacket pocket. He was the only man she knew to carry books around in his inside pocket. She smiled and shook her head a little, realising she was getting ahead of herself. He wanted to read.

"It's... uh … its nothing"

Grissom surveyed the cover over the top of his glasses and smiled. A glint in his eye. He turned to his book.

"Has it got to the sexy bit yet?"

She couldn't help but smile. She should have known he would have recognised a Jackie Collin's book. That's what she was famous for after all. She shifted her weight to the other side so that they were sitting close, leaning her back against him and curling her legs up under herself she went back to the promiscuous activities in the barn. She didn't notice when he slipped one arm around her, carefully resting his hand on the top of her thigh as they read together in silence.

She cherished moments like this. Relaxing in the sunshine together. She loved to feel his heart beating against her body, loved breathing in his scent. They would often sit like this at home. Whiling away the hours lost in a world of fantasy but still very much together.

The action was beginning to heat up in her book and she shifted a little embarrassed. At some point Grissom had stopped reading and was content watching her, a small smile playing on his lips as she blushed.

"It's only a story" he whispered in her ear, his breath blowing her hair around her neck. She inhaled sharply. He could still send shivers down her spine just by being close to her. He didn't make any move away from her, his head nestling over her shoulder probably drinking in the text in the story.

"It's…. uh it's very descriptive"

"And you expected less from Ms Collins?"

He was enjoying this, she couldn't see his face but she was sure he was smiling. His eyes glistening as he teased her. She was by no means a prude. If she had been reading alone she would probably have enjoyed it, but with him in such close proximity she felt a little, well, naughty.

She turned her head slightly so their noses were almost touching, closing her eyes, longing to kiss him. She silently coached herself on self-control. Any of the team could come back at any minute but her heart was racing so fast that her breathing quickened to catch up with it.

"It's much more fun in real life"

She almost growled it, it was an invitation. She knew it was but she couldn't stop it rolling out of her mouth. Try as she might her actions seemed to have taken on their own personality this weekend.

It didn't go unnoticed with Grissom though. Usually it took him a while to take a hint like that. She would more often than not be waiting for him to catch up for a least a few minutes but he had deciphered this one almost immediately burying his head in her neck and placing small, gentle, delicious kisses on the sensitive skin there.

In her already heightened sexual state these kissed were driving her wild as she almost purred in his ear and his hand slipped around to cup her breast. They were interrupted by her phone chiming. She sat upright felling around in her pockets for it and sliding her feet around.

"Ignore it" he whispered

"What if it's important?"

"What could be so important?"

He leaned towards her kissing her softly yet passionately on the lips. His hand stroking the back of her neck as he pulled her in closer. The sound of a car pulling onto the long gravel driveway made them separate. A look of longing in their eyes as they slipped to opposite ends of the swing and turned back to their books.

Sara flipped open her phone and laughed out loud as she read the message. Her eyes moved to the other side of the lake as she handed her phone to Grissom.

_Greg: Busted! We saw EVERYTHING!_


	11. Chapter 11

It was bound to happen sooner or later. He knew he would catch them out. He had suspected for some time that Sara and Grissom's relationship had progressed beyond just friends; Sara however just would not admit it. He really thought he'd caught her out earlier when they arrived in his car, then when he found them in her bedroom together. He had grinned from ear to ear when Catherine found the grass in her hair. He knew, he just KNEW.

Fishing with Brass hadn't particularly been on top of his list that day. he would much rather have been relaxing on the deck of a boat in the sunshine surrounded by beautiful women, but since Sara had chosen Jackie Collins over him and Catherine was going shopping he had to settle for fishing with Jim. While he was a reluctant student Brass was still good company and the spot he chose was quiet and relaxing while still in view of the villa.

Of course Sara and Grissom wouldn't know that. It was exactly what Greg had been waiting for. The evidence he needed. He was transfixed as he watched them sitting so close. Personal space between those two was a foreign concept though so that alone was not enough. He almost fell off the jetty when he saw Grissom nuzzle her neck and slide his hand around her body. He could barely breathe, the excitement was too much.

"What are you gawping at?"

Brass destroyed his thought process. He tried hard to drag his eyes away, he really did. As much as he loved spreading gossip he loved Sara more and he knew that she wouldn't want everyone talking about them. Brass followed his eye line a smile spreading across his face as he saw what Greg was staring at.

"I'm… I'm sure it's nothing" Greg tried covering up the blatant show of affection but he knew it was no use.

"Yeah, it was nothing the other night when they disappeared into the woods for 3 hours too"

Greg was bewildered. Did everyone know already? He had felt kind of privileged to know a secret like that. If it wasn't a secret then why did it take so long for him to figure it out?

"Let's keep it between us though ok? I don't think they want everyone knowing"

With that Brass collected his things and headed back to the house leaving Greg standing on the jetty his eyes still fixed on his friends. This was a big deal, he wouldn't be Greg if he didn't take the opportunity to tease her for it. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and snapped a photo. That would be good for blackmailing purpose's later he thought to himself as he beat out a message to send to her.

As soon as he sent it he had second thoughts but then he could hear her laughter from the jetty. He hadn't upset her, she knew she could count on his discretion. He practically bounced back to the house, arriving just in time to help carry the groceries through to the kitchen.

"What's got you so cheery?"

Catherine was always so suspicious. He hadn't noticed it before but now he had a viable reason to keep a secret he felt like he was being examined as she burned into him with her eyes.

"Nothing, just having fun! What's with the third degree already?"

Catherine raised an eyebrow before turning away from him. She already thought he was crazy this probably wouldn't go any way to supressing that suspicion. Sara and Grissom arrived in the kitchen. Together. He couldn't help but grin from ear to ear at the sight of them standing there and while Grissom shuffled uncomfortably, Sara was trying hard to stifle the smile playing on the corners of her lips.

"What did you two get up to today?"

Catherine was regarding them with interest as they exchanged looks with Greg.

"I….uh just read on the porch"

Sara gestured with her book before turning and hastily leaving as Catherine turned her attention to Grissom. Greg took the opportunity to chase Sara down.

"So you got my message?"

She whipped around to face him taking a quick scan of the area to be sure they were alone.

"Yes. And I didn't realise you were a peeping tom. You know that's a natural progression to rape and murder don't you?"

"Very funny. Can I take that as a confession?"

"I….. Have nothing to confess to"

Greg matched her wide smile and casually brought out his phone before showing her the image.

"I have all the evidence I need"

She tried to grab the phone from his hand, he held it high moving it so it was just out of her reach. Then it fell.

It was as though everything was moving in slow motion as it clattered onto the floor and slid along the smooth marble surface. They watched in silence as it came to a stop at Warrick's feet. They were both stuck to the spot, neither knowing what to do or say as Warrick regarded the photo on the screen with interest then raised his eyes to meet Sara's.

"told you you were busted" whispered Greg.


	12. Chapter 12

Warrick stifled a small smile on seeing the image on the phone. He couldn't say he was surprised but Sara was obviously still keen to keep it a secret. He held the phone in his hands, both Sara and Greg staring at him with baited breath to see what he would do. He pressed a couple of buttons on the keypad and handed it to Sara. _'Are you sure you want to delete this photo?'_ lit on the screen and she gave him a relieved smile as she selected yes. He could be a nice guy when he wanted to.

He made his way into the kitchen, his eyes falling immediately on Catherine bending over into one of the small cupboards. His attraction to her reminded him of just how horrible he had been the night before. Nick was approaching him, his smile wide and excited.

"Look at all this cool stuff we got for the barbeque. Steaks, ribs, venison. It's gonna be great!"

Warrick surveyed the huge pile of meat in front of Nick, the words cave and man came directly to mind as he looked over his haul.

"What did you get for Sara?"

Nick and Catherine exchanged looks, the thought had never once crossed their minds. They had been so focussed on buying steaks and hamburgers. Catherine quickly looked through the gathered bags, she was fully aware that they had failed to collect anything remotely vegetarian.

"Oh no, we'll have to go back into town"

"It's ok, I'll go" Grissom piped up "I could use a change of scenery anyway. I'll take Sara with me."

He left the room, it was clearly not a request. Catherine raised her eyebrow after him, momentarily and involuntarily making eye contact with Warrick. She looked away quickly, returning to her bags. She wasn't ready to look at him yet.

Greg and Sara were still teasing each other when Grissom appeared from the kitchen. He approached them with an amused expression on his face and placed a hand on the small of Sara's back. She visibly tensed under his touch, a little surprised that he wasn't keeping his distance.

"Want to go into town?"

"Sure, I'll just go grab my purse"

Greg was smiling at them. The touch had not gone unnoticed with him although he wasn't very sure why he was still looking for clues when he had confirmation of a relationship.

"Can I come too?"

They both shot him a look through narrowed eyes and he raised his hands in surrender. It clearly wasn't a group outing and he hastily retreated into the kitchen to help the others.

The car had gotten really hot in the midday sun, even with the air conditioning it was almost difficult to breathe. They took their seats in silence. Sara noticed how easily she slipped into the passenger seat with him, she was always fighting Greg to be the driver, and somehow with Grissom it just seemed right that he should be driving.

"Why are we going into town?"

He looked at her from his chair smiling, he loved how she hadn't asked before agreeing.

"They forgot to get a vegetarian option"

She rolled her eyes and looked out of the window. She didn't make a move to switch on the stereo or make conversation and this struck Grissom as unusual.

"Something on your mind?"

"No… uh.. Just us."

The comment made his heart jump, he couldn't decipher whether she meant it was a good thing or a bad thing and for some reason his mouth wouldn't work to ask her. She smiled at him when she saw the confusion on his face.

"I mean… Warrick knows. Greg knows…"

"Brass knows…"

That was news to her and she looked at him bewildered.

"I thought we weren't telling anyone?"

"I didn't tell him!"

It struck her as quite funny that they were failing so terribly at keeping their relationship a secret. There were now more people who knew about them at that house than people who didn't. She was sure Catherine had her suspicions. She wondered if Nick already knew. Maybe they had been naive in ever thinking it was a secret. Maybe they all knew all along.

"What if they all know?"

"Then they all know"

He was smiling, she couldn't quite get her head around it. His career had been important enough for him to keep his distance from her for so long, did he really understand what everyone knowing would mean?

"But Ecklie… I mean. He'd have your job…."

"There are more important things…"


	13. Chapter 13

**I apologise for the delay in posting this, I have broken my wrist *sigh* so it takes me a while to type. enjoy xx**

* * *

><p>The town was a quaint little place, all shutters on the windows and hanging baskets. There was one large general store which stocked the usual everyday things, a tiny greengrocer and a butcher. They revelled in that fact that they were the only people from the team there, wandering along the street holding hands. When they finished their shopping Grissom spotted a little café on the corner.<p>

"Let's go for lunch"

He didn't wait for an answer, since the night on the jetty he had made a promise to himself to be more spontaneous. To grasp the moments as they passed instead of regretting when they were gone. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the little building, smiling as he was granted the shocked expression usually reserved for him.

This weekend had done something to him. Even although they had been attempting to keep their distance he had enjoyed having her around without it being pre-planned or scheduled. Having a select few of their friends in on the secret had gone some way to alleviate his stress and slowly but undeniably he was reaching a conclusion which should have scared him. They sat at the tiny uneven table eating their meal. He couldn't help but watch her, he wondered if she knew just how much he watched her. Even long before they had finally consummated their relationship he would find himself watching her. Sometimes without even realising it himself.

He may have thought he was in love with her before but he had been wrong, what he felt before wasn't a patch on now. It didn't come close to how he felt when he looked at her now, knowing that he could reach out and touch her, knowing he could kiss her, knowing that she would always be his. No this was definitely what love felt like. It was time to do something about it.

"You know, I've really enjoyed having you around all the time"

Sara looked at him smiling, a spoonful of soup paused halfway to her mouth.

"Me too"

"Maybe we should think about… getting a place together"

The soup slowly slid off the spoon as she stared at him.

"Are you serious?"

He was a little surprised at her reaction. Not that he had expected her to toss the table to one side and throw her arms around him but he had at least expected her to accept. He was the one who had to over think things, he was the one with the huge conscience, when had they swapped roles?

"Why not?"

A smile was slowly spreading over her face, the realisation of what he was asking her beginning to set in.

"You're asking me to move in with you?"

"Sara… I..."

She interrupted him, she didn't have to listen to one of his long winded speeches. What he had said was perfect.

"I can't think of anything I'd like more"

The rest of the meal went by with stolen glances and knowing smiles. The drive back to Catherine's villa seemed to take forever. There was only one thing they both wanted to do right now and it didn't involve socialising and pretending they still hated each other.

The Villa was surprisingly quiet when they got back, no sign of any of the team as they loaded their groceries in the fridge quietly. There was a note pinned to kitchen door.

"_Gone for picnic on island, be back by 4"_

Grissom looked at his watch and smiled.

"We've got an hour"

She didn't need any more explanation, she was already heading for the stairs.

"You know I hope you're planning to keep this up when we live together Gilbert, I have to say I am quite enjoying it"

He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"I could make love to you forever"

He whispered into her ear before moving his lips to her neck sending tingles all over her body. By the time they made it to the bedroom's they were almost ravenous, so desperate for intimate contact their clothes were littered up the staircase and along the hall like a trail of breadcrumbs.

Grissom had longed to tease her. Longed to cover her body in tiny, soft kisses. From the crook of her neck down to the tiny flower on her ankle. His body was crying out for her but he loved holding so much power over her, loved that he was able to turn her into putty in his hands. She was shaking by the time he raised his body over hers, he exercised every iota of self-control he had moving slowly when he wanted nothing more than to allow passion to consume them both. Just as they were reaching the edge, the point of no return as their bodies shook and trembled and surrendered there was a sound from downstairs.

"Hello?"

It was Doc Robbin's arriving for the barbeque, stepping into the large hall at the bottom of the stairs, observing the beautiful marble floors, the high ceilings and the discarded shoes littering their way up the stairs. There was nothing they could do at this point, their passion had consumed them as they crumbled over the edge of their pleasure. Their eyes locking in an expression of both fear and desperation to finish what they had started. He had no choice really, how could he stop now when she was gasping, begging him not to.

"Oh god, Gil please don't stop!"

Their usual post coital embrace was forgone in favour of a futile attempt to cover up what they had been doing. The clothes they had been wearing were now adorning the hall haphazardly. Sara threw on a pair of pants and a top before venturing out into the bright lights of the stairway to face their new visitors.


	14. Chapter 14

Catherine stretched her toes out into the soft golden sand and sighed as she relaxed back on the picnic blanket. The hot sun beat down on them as Nick passed Warrick another beer, he was watching her and Nick had noticed.

"hey, what's going on with you two?"

"it's nothing, man I just did something stupid"

Nick sat up, now he was intrigued.

"last night? you didn't…."

Nick didn't have to finish his sentence, he could tell from Warrick's slumped shoulders and shaking head that he had. He lowered his voice, talking through his teeth.

"what about Tina?"

"look man, I know. I told you it was stupid"

His eyes were drawn to Catherine again. She was acting as though nothing had happened. Smiling and flicking her hair around like she always had, he wished that he had the strength of character to pretend that nothing had happened. The truth was, he wished they hadn't stopped.

"she won't talk to me"

Nick passed him another beer with a wink.

"try again"

Warrick sighed as he stood up and made his way towards her. he thought through what he was going to say to her quickly, it wasn't enough. Nothing would be enough. He passed her a beer before sitting down beside her.

"can we have a truce?"

Catherine eyed the beer suspiciously before grudgingly making eye contact with him. she knew she couldn't stay mad at him, like it or not she had a soft spot for Warrick Brown. A very soft spot.

"it's already forgotten"

They clinked bottles together, staring out towards the shining lake.

"I thought I was going to get the silent treatment forever"

"you were" she smiled

"lets go for a walk"

Catherine looked round at Greg, Nick and Brass and laughed.

"no"

"why not, it's just a walk?"

She stood up, shaking out her long hair and brushing sand off her legs.

"it better be a short one"

Catherine slipped her arm through his as they walked. She was glad they had buried the hatchet, she valued Warrick's friendship above anything else and she would always have her memories. She would block out the bad bit at the end. They soon came to another small cove and sat on an overturned tree.

"you know, its pretty much over between me and Tina"

She glanced at him, she wasn't sure what he wanted her to say. Given the circumstance's she could hardly be offering relationship advice to him.

He turned to look at her, his hand resting on the small of her back. She could tell he was struggling with an internal debate. Then he smiled, she shuddered under that look. His eyes said everything he couldn't and before they knew what they were doing their lips met once again. The passion and desperation from the night before was gone, this was an altogether different kiss.

Breaking away from each other their eye contact lingered.

"well you know what they say about Vegas?"

Warrick frowned at her, unsure of what she was getting at.

"what happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas"

"Catherine we're always in Vegas"

She kissed him again, a smile playing around her mouth as she stood up and walked away.

"so we'll tweak it a little"


	15. Chapter 15

Sara made her way to the top of the stairs quickly. Her eyes fell to the discarded clothes littering the hallway and a very obviously male shoe sitting on the top step.

"shit" she whispered inwardly as she picked it up, but it must have been audible to Doc Robbins as he looked up at her.

"Sara! Hi, where's everyone else?"

Sara hazarded a glance towards the bedroom, Grissom was gathering up clothing unseen by anyone else. She couldn't help but find it funny. She bit her lip to stifle a smile.

"uh.. well… there's a picnic on the island. Everyone's there"

"your alone?" Doc Robbins was looking at the shoe.

Sara looked at the shoe, she looked at Grissom then she looked at Doc Robbins.

"um.. yea. I'm just … clearing up"

"is that Grissom's shoe?"

She looked at the shoe, attempting to feign surprise as a smile caught the corners of the Doc's mouth.

"yes. It.. it is. He is so messy. I wouldn't have expected it of him. I mean I know his office is unorganised but…"

"Sara, it's ok. Is someone with you?"

Sara shot a look to Grissom. She was struggling. She liked Doc Robbins, he was so sweet and nurturing with her. like a father figure. She hated lying to him. Grissom was still fighting with the buttons on his shirt.

"Well, I …"

Before she could finish her sentence the hallway filled with the rest of the team. Doc Robbins smiled as she practically ran along the top floor with the ominous shoe. He wasn't an old fool. Either her obsession with Grissom had gone to a whole new worrying level or he was up there with her. the fact that he wasn't mingled in among the rest of the team only heightened his suspicions further.

She made it to the door before the nervous giggles kicked in. she hit him softly with his shoe as he folded his arms around her.

"I think you fooled him"

"shut up, how are we going to get downstairs?"

"well I'm going to be waking up from my nap in a minute, I thought you were reading your book?"

"I think I'm worried about how easy you lie, Dr Grissom"

he kissed her gently on the head before making his way to the staircase.

"what about Doc Robbins?"

"he won't say anything, he's a good friend."

Sara turned into her room and sat on the bed. She noticed she was still holding the shoe, she threw it to the other side of the room promising to return it to Grissom's room when everyone was distracted. Settling back on the pillows with her book she could hear the chatter of her friends downstairs, hear their laughter and their excitement. One more night and they were going home. Home, that would be an entirely new experience soon. Her home would be with Grissom.

Doc Robbins locked eyes with Grissom almost the second he emerged at the top of the stairs. he was glad he was there, he was beginning to worry a little about Sara's mental state. She was a terrible liar. Catherine obviously had her suspicions too, she was looking around the room before approaching Grissom with a smile.

"where's Sara?"

He looked around at the assembled people, looked into the kitchen then back at Catherine.

"she was unpacking the groceries when I went upstairs"

"is there something going on here I should know about Gil?"

"I could ask you the same thing" he gestured towards Warrick.

She had almost forgotten about their promiscuous activities, they had had a lovely day on the island. It had been so easy to forget, lazing in the sunshine. She shot Grissom a warning look before dropping the subject. Greg bounded up the stairs to find Sara, he had loads of gossip to share with her from their day on the beach. He suspected she had some she wouldn't share with him too but he would have plenty of fun teasing her for it anyway.

He found her curled up on her bed, book discarded on the floor. She had fallen asleep. He secretly promised to ask her what could possibly have made her so tired as he gently pulled a blanket over her.

The shoe on the other side of the room did not go unnoticed, he picked it up and smiled as he hid it under his own bed. That could be fun later he thought making his way back down stairs, his beaming smile directed at Grissom.


	16. Chapter 16

By the time Sara emerged from her impromptu nap the barbeque was getting underway. Grissom noted her change of clothing as she descended the few stairs from the porch, the edges of her dress skimming just above her knees. His eyes followed the curve of her legs from the straps on her sandals all the way to the top of her thighs. He did enjoy it when she wore a dress, she was more often than not in trousers or jeans, dresses were just not practical. He enjoyed it even more when she was wearing a great deal less than the dress but a dress would have to do for now.

"I thought I was the one who was supposed to be napping"

"I guess I was tired out from our shopping trip"

Greg approached them with a huge hotdog in his hands.

"Nick is the man on the barbeque!"

They both looked over at Nick flipping burgers like a seasoned professional but Sara's eyes were drawn to the shelf under the barbeque, her stomach tying in knots when she saw Grissom's shoe sitting there. She shot Greg a questioning look and he winked at her before walking off to chat with Warrick.

"I swear I'm going to have to kill that boy!"

She marched off towards Nick and Catherine as Grissom frowned after her.

As she approached the barbeque she tried to figure out how she was going to get rid of the shoe without being spotted. She couldn't very well just bend down and hand it to him, they were bound to ask questions and although Doc Robbins was a nice guy, he was just as much of a gossip as the rest of them.

"Hey, I just started a veggie burger for you"

"Thanks Nicky, where's the beer?"

Catherine handed her a bottle from the cooler, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Right here, you tired out this afternoon?"

Sara could tell when Catherine was fishing for information. She took the beer and took a long swig, it was cool and refreshing.

"Well the heat must have got to me Catherine, it's a long drive into town"

She smiled at Catherine as she turned away and approached Grissom, it was his turn for the grilling and she relished seeing him squirm under Catherine's question's. She casually kicked the shoe off the shelf so it fell to the floor as Nick handed her a burger.

"You're pretty good with a spatula Nicky"

He grinned at her as he turned the corn on the cob and threw on some onions. He put on his best cowboy accent and tipped his imaginary hat.

"I grew up in Texas, baby, this is how we cook!"

Sara rolled her eyes at him.

"Yea, sure Nicky. A whole cow on the barbeque after a long day on the ranch!"

"Hey, I have sharp instruments over here you know"

Grissom was approaching them and she couldn't help but cast her eyes over his body as he moved, resting on his eyes as he smiled at her on his way. She pursed her lips but held his gaze until he took his place beside her accepting a burger from Nick.

The party was soon in full swing as the barbeque smouldered and the music filled the night air. Sara could feel the alcohol going to her head, she didn't even protest when Greg took her hand and joined Doc Robbins and his wife on the makeshift dance floor. Closely followed by Nick and Catherine. Grissom was watching her as she smiled and laughed, her hair swinging as Greg twirled her around in his arms. He felt a tiny pang of jealousy which surprised him a little. Brass passed him a glass of Whiskey, joining him watching the dancing.

"You should go join in you know, Gil"

"That's not a good idea, Jim"

"Why not? It's only dancing not like you got to marry her or anything"

Grissom looked at his friend with a shocked expression as he tipped his glass towards him and smiled. Brass could always surprise him with his quiet knowledge, he liked to make out like he didn't know anything but in truth he must know enough about each one of them to make a fortune in bribery money. Grissom had still failed to make a move, he was rooted to the spot watching the festivities on the dance floor when Brass took the glass form his hand and placed it on the small wall they were leaning on. He pushed him slightly by the arm heading towards the dancers.

"Come on Lover boy, I'll cover for you"

Grissom watched as Brass took Catherine's hand and swung her around easily. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath before cutting in between Greg and Sara.

He slipped his hand around her waist and she gently stroked his neck. This was the most intimate contact they had ever had in front of the team and it was strangely exhilarating. They locked eyes and the rest of the world seemed to vanish as they moved around with the sound of the music. Sara pressed her body against him and rested her head on his shoulder as he gently caressed the small of her back and inhaled the scent of her hair.

Catherine approached Greg with a wide smile on her face.

"And they say there's nothing going on?"

"They're just dancing Catherine"

Catherine looked at her two friends on the dance floor, completely lost in each other. She had longed for someone to hold her like that, to look at her like that, to want her like that.

"That … is not just dancing Greg"


	17. Chapter 17

Catherine was surprisingly giddy about the public display of affection she had just witnessed, anyone would think it was her who was on the receiving end of such attention, but then Catherine was the subject of an altogether different attention. She could feel Warrick's eyes on her the moment she stepped into the house. She knew he was watching her every move and it was a real challenge stopping herself from making eye contact with him, instead she sashayed around the room smiling and laughing.

She was a master at manipulating the male species, if he wanted something to watch then who was she to let him down. She made sure to flick her hair around and move her hips just right, made sure she was in his viewpoint at all times and the most important rule, she made sure she looked like she was having a fantastic time without his help.

Greg had taken up position behind the bar, he had decided to bestow upon the barmaid his ample cocktail mixing skills and he tossed the mixer around with ease throwing in all kinds of ingredients and pouring out a deep red concoction for her to sip. Catherine swirled around the strawberry that was perched on top with a cocktail stick, now was the time to get eye contact with Warrick. Now was the opportune moment to let him know exactly what they both had in mind. She glanced around the room before settling her eyes on the target for the night. Warrick was already watching her, taking in the sweep of her legs, the curve of her hips and the swoop of her spine in her backless dress. She held his eye as she slowly raised the strawberry to her lips, licking off the foamy cocktail remnants before sucking it from its stick and licking her lips. Then as though nothing had happened she turned her attention right back to the group surrounding Greg at the bar and sipped her cocktail.

Warrick stared at her back completely stunned, that was an invitation if ever he saw one and who was he to refuse? He had been content to watch her from afar before but now he needed to be close to her, he needed to be able to smell the scent of her perfume and touch her soft skin. He knew he was asking for trouble but there was something about Catherine he was unable to resist. Especially with her offering herself to him on a plate. He hushed the voice inside him telling him it was wrong and perched on the barstool beside her. she was chatting animatedly with Nick but a sly glance over her shoulder confirmed to him he had done what she wanted and the cocktail glasses began to pile up in front of them as Greg fired out cocktail after cocktail, each one more fruity and exotic than the last and they were sure, laden with more alcohol.

The subtle looks and movements were soon replaced with gently brushed touches and thinly veiled comments, as the alcohol took hold these were replaced by whispers and very obvious touches. Catherine was leaning her back towards him, every breath he took and every word he spoke brushed her skin sending tingles all the way to her toes and while his arm was draped around the chair behind her every now and then she would feel his hand on her waist. It felt naughty, doing this in front of the team, although there was nothing outwardly sexual with what they were doing they both knew what the undertones were. They both knew where it was leading. And apparently so did Nicky. As he made his way out of the room he made no secret of his hushed warning to Warrick.

"I hope you know what you're doing man"

Warrick made no attempt to dispel his suspicions and Nick left the room with a stern look in his friends eye. It may have gave Warrick a flicker of regret for a fraction of a second but when he turned back to Catherine, her rear perched so close to his body, it was gone immediately. Catherine wasn't a homewrecker, she was just out to have a little fun. He was merely going to be the one to provide the fun.

She slid off her chair and ran her hand down his arm as she slowly stepped out of the room, for a moment he was completely confused at what was happening. He hadn't noticed the guest filter out, Greg was the only one still in the room and he was otherwise engaged in his attempts to woo the barmaid.

"I'm going for a walk before I go to bed"

Warrick frowned, he wasn't sure if she was using the term 'walk' literally although he certainly hoped not as he slid off is chair and offered her his arm.

"I'll go with you, Night Greg"

Greg didn't even acknowledge their leaving, he had insisted on trying every cocktail he made and the only one he didn't come onto that night was Warrick, probably because he was blocked by Catherine and their ever expanding fortress of cocktail glasses.

They wandered through the house, Catherine had a room she wanted to show him. When she had first explored the house there was one room that made her think of him. It had incited fantasies of romantic escapades at the time which she had quashed due to the fact his wife was supposed to be escorting him on this trip. She pushed open the grand double doors to reveal a beautiful music room. The huge floor to ceiling windows looked out over the lake and let in the silvery glow of the moonlight and placed under those windows was an exquisite Grand Piano.

Sara had told her he could play, she had felt a little jealous that he had played for her although Sara had insisted it was only a few bars and nothing like a serenade. He was drawn to it like a moth to a flame and sat on the stool with a smile in her direction. She loitered by the door watching him as his fingers moved over the keys. He only brushed them at first, the faintest song escaping the lid but as she stepped towards him he began to press the keys with more conviction. The sounds of the music filling the room as she leaned onto the lid and held his eye contact.

He continued to play as their lips met, his fingers still caressing the keys as her tongue playfully flicked into his mouth and she gently bit his bottom lip. She moved away from the piano as he launched into another song, slipping behind him and pressing her breasts to his back as she slipped open the buttons on his shirt and traced kisses down the line of his neck. Her nails finally drawing across his bare chest as he growled under his breath. Yet he kept playing. Catherine was enjoying this, how far would it go before he would finally stop his fingers dancing over the keys of the piano and move them onto dancing over her body?

She moved around to his front once more, his eyes burning into hers with a combination of amusement and desire. She was sure she could break his concentration as she slowly turned away and slipped her dress from her shoulders. A cheeky glance over her shoulder convinced her he was watching but yet he was still playing. The music may have been slower and his trousers decidedly tighter but he still played, and he played beautifully. Her slender fingers found the zipper at the base of her spine and she slid it down slowly, she was sure she saw him shift in his seat as she allowed the dress to fall to the ground and stepped through towards him wearing only her heels and a thong.

It frustrated her somewhat that he was still able to play, she was practically fizzing with anticipation as she stepped over his arm so that she was standing between his legs.

"I didn't normally dance to this kind of music Mr Brown…. But if you insist"

Catherine had to slow her normal routine down somewhat but it had the same effect on Warrick as it did all the men who had watched her dance and he finally stopped playing long enough to pull her close to him and kiss her hard on the lips. He stood and pressed against her, hungry to taste her lips on his, hungry to run his hands down her body and make her moan. She fell back onto the piano with a loud thud of the keys and they paused. Suspended in their moment as they stared at the door waiting for their friends to come an investigate.

Warrick held her eye contact again, his arms still around her back and his erection still pressing into her leg.

"Bedroom?"

Catherine nodded as she twisted her legs around his body and threw her arms around his neck.

"You're place or mine?"


	18. Chapter 18

By the time Grissom looked up they were alone. Completely alone, dancing on the porch. He was a little taken aback that he hadn't noticed the rest of the team leave them behind.

He must have it bad. Worse than he thought.

Never before had he been so completely lost in a moment that the rest of the world had melted away. Never before had a woman ever been able to do that to him. They were just standing there, his hands resting on her hips as she looked at him.

"Now we've gone and done it, Gil."

She was smiling at him but he could tell that it was a cautious statement, testing the waters to see his reaction. He thought about it for a few long moments, he wondered if he _should _be worried, if maybe they _should _have kept their relationship under-wraps a bit longer. Truth was he didn't really feel anything about the team knowing. He trusted each and every one of them with his life, he was sure he could trust them with this.

He did get the distinct impression that she wasn't so sure about them knowing. Sara found it hard to trust people, even their team.

"We were just dancing, dear"

"Hmmm if you say so"

They strode into the house together, walking into the bar to 14 questioning eyes and knowing smiles. Sara blushed from head to toe as Grissom gently guided her with a hand on the arch of her back. In the end it was Greg who broke the silence and rescued her.

"Who wants to play a game? I vote charades!"

Everyone turned to look at Greg, registering both confusion and annoyance in their expressions.

"I'm on Grissom's team!"

Catherine smiled, glad she got in there first.

"Me too!" Chimed Sara and Greg simultaneously.

They broke off into their groups, Doc Robbins wife excusing herself for her 'beauty sleep'. They took opposite sides of the room as they conspired to choose their phrase.

Nick's team went first, Brass took his space and began acting out the clues. They began shouting out guesses at a feverish pace as the clock ticked by on their allocated time. When the bell sounded their time up Brass turned to Catherine.

"The devil wears Prada? Really?"

Catherine and Greg exchanged high fives. They knew the boys would never be able to guess that one.

Grissom's team went next, Sara was the nominated 'actor' she took her position in front of her team and glanced at the slip of paper with her phrase. She sighed deeply as she read 'good morning Vietnam' they picked a hard one.

Of course they did Nick was incredibly competitive.

The first two words were relatively easy but the team just were not on the ball and no-one had guessed Vietnam as the 3rd word. As the time clicked away Sara was beginning to get very frustrated. She locked eyes with Grissom and had a moment of clarity as she raised her hand and made the sign for 'V' in his direction.

This was followed by Greg very loudly shouting out "peace!"

Grissom had grabbed a piece of paper and was taking notes as she held up her pinkie finger indicating 'I'. She was very tentative, she was only beginning to learn to sign. Grissom had shown her basics, like the alphabet. She clutched all her fingers together like a duck bill 'E'

Greg and Catherine exchanged glances stunned at this new development, amazed at the prolonged eye contact and fascinated at Sara's new ability to sign.

She made a fist, tucking her thumb over her fingers and curling her index finger over it 'T'. Nick was not amused, he watched as she shifted her middle finger over her thumb too 'N'.

"That's cheating! You're not allowed to sign!"

Sara smiled as she narrowed her eyes at him curling her hand into a full fist for 'A' and Grissom announced their answer.

"Good morning Vietnam – we win"

Warrick stood and moved to the bar. Ordering a beer and nodding towards Nick.

"Drinks are on Nicky!"

They naturally split into their groups, Greg deciding to become a 'mixologist' for the evening.

Grissom was joined by Brass and doc Robbins near the window. They eyed him suspiciously before taking their seats and looking over the rest of the team laughing and chatting at the bar.

"So … you taught Sara to sign huh?"

Grissom looked at Doc Robbins. He wasn't smiling but the amusement registered in his eyes.

"She was curious"

* * *

><p>Sara was beginning to regret resorting to sign. She was sure that everyone suspected them already she was basically putting the last nail in her coffin. She had practically announced it to the room and she kicked herself internally for being so stupid.<p>

"Hey, where did you learn to sign?"

Nick had sidled up beside her, passing her one of Greg's fancy cocktails. Sara wasn't entirely sure whether it was a loaded question or not. She regarded him for a moment through narrowed eyes and realised that he was actually genuinely asking her. He hadn't figured it out! The cat may still be in the bag!

Now Sara had to decide whether to tell him the truth or not. If she told him Grissom had taught her he would inevitably ask about them spending time together. She suddenly realised that she had been pondering his question for quite a long time and he was frowning at her.

"Grissom taught me"

He broke into a wide smile and she bit the inside of her mouth trying to supress a smile.

"Grissom? He taught you? Grissom taught you?"

Sara broke into a laugh and nodded as Nick stared at her completely bewildered.

"It's nothing, Nicky. He's just teaching me a few things"

Nick nodded and looked over at his supervisor. He knew there was something different about him lately.

"I bet he is"

Sara glared at him. She found it quite amusing that almost everyone they knew had definitive suspicions of their relationship yet the only one to actually ask them about it directly was Greg. And Greg didn't really count anyway.

"I bet he'd teach you if you asked him too"

"Nah, the beard doesn't do it for me I'm afraid"

She playfully pushed his arm as Greg passed them yet another cocktail.

"Strawberry Daiquiri, my favourite" she hummed.

They clinked glasses together before sinking the fruity fluid in the glass.

"Couple more of these and it might though!"

Sara laughed so hard she almost fell off her stool. She leaned back and felt a familiar chest against her back. She gasped and straightened up as Grissom took the chair beside her.

"What's so funny?"

Nick shot her a warning look which she chose to ignore. She loved to tease him and the cocktails had lowered her inhibitions considerably. Beside's it would take the focus of conversation away from her.

"Nick was just telling me how attractive he finds you're beard"


	19. Chapter 19

Grissom had been watching her with Nick. He had spotted the sideways glances in his direction and the blatant attempt to avoid eye contact. She was uncomfortable lying but she was more uncomfortable speaking about something as personal as their private lives. He recognised the signs of her discomfort; she chewed on her lower lip, fiddled with her fingers and cleared her throat a lot. He decided to rescue her from Nick's inevitable questions and made his excuses before heading to the bar.

When she fell back from her chair and leaned on his chest it took all his self-control not to hold her or to stay there enjoying the feel of her body against his. Instead he took the chair beside her and took a sniff of her cocktail. If falling off the chair from laughing too hard wasn't enough to hint at her intoxicated state the potent alcohol smell in the glass certainly did.

"Nick was just telling me how attractive he finds you're beard"

Grissom raised an eyebrow at Nick and flashed him a smug, questioning smile.

"You know, what I don't have to take this abuse. I'm going to go play with the big boys"

They watched Nick go, suddenly very aware that they were sitting alone together at the bar. It was awkward. They fought every urge they had to act normally around each other, probably making it more obvious to anyone else. They were normally so good acting natural, somehow in this unfamiliar environment everything they did was open to interpretation.

Greg passed him a cocktail, a tall glass filled with a green concoction that smelled suspiciously like rum. He didn't normally drink cocktails. He was known to have a whiskey or a brandy with Brass on occasion and he would partake in a wine with dinner if he and Sara ventured out. It had been years since he had tried anything quite so adventurous. Greg winked at him with a wide beaming smile as he regarded him suspiciously and took a sip of the mystery concoction.

"I call it 'Grissom's little helper' …. Sara can thank me later"

She threw her strawberry at him playfully "what did you put in there Greg?"

"Its top secret"

Grissom was staring into the glass running his tongue around his mouth and frowning slightly. He raised it to his mouth and took another sip, letting the liquid linger in his mouth before looking at them both.

"Rum, avocado, figs, honey, vanilla and … soda? Aphrodisiacs?"

It tasted very unusual, a strange combination of flavours which Greg was obviously very proud of. He grinned at him again before leaning over to whisper in Sara's ear.

"I won't mention the Viagra.."

She choked back the drink that was left in her mouth as Greg returned to the red head waitress who was hanging on his every word.

Grissom regarded this new mischievous expression of hers with interest, if his cocktail was filled with aphrodisiacs it was quite likely hers was too and she'd had at least a 2 drink head start on him. He held his breath and sank the drink in one long gulp revelling in the shocked expression from Sara.

"Well I have to catch up with you don't I dear?"

"You're going to get drunk…..."

She was laughing, amazed that he was joining in such festivities. He would usually steer clear of alcohol when socialising. Not that he socialised much.

"So be it!"

To say that Grissom was a changed man under the influence of alcohol was an understatement. The flirty innuendos and teasing of his past had returned and he seemed a million times more relaxed. He and Sara were soon joined by Brass and Doc Robbins. Being part of a larger group was a lot more comfortable for them and they found themselves exchanging stolen glances and smiles more and more frequently. Grissom's iron clad privacy screen was beginning to drop as Greg plied them with drink after drink. He found himself resting his hand on her leg and draping his arm over her chair and she didn't stage a protest, she didn't even tense under his touch as he expected.

The night was drawing to a close and in his dizzy, drink fuelled brain he took her by the hand as they made their way towards the vast staircase. Had Catherine been any less intoxicated than them he was sure she would have positively pounced on them. Brass and the Doc disappeared into their respective rooms, leaving them alone loitering in the hall.

He had been longing to kiss her all night. It surprised him just how hard it was for him to keep control of his feelings around her. He pulled her close to him, she smelled so sweet. A mixture of strawberries and almonds due to Greg's special cocktail.

"I want to show you another sign"

He drew her lips to his as she melted into his arms. He ran his hands through her soft hair, stroking her jaw with his thumb and softly running his hand the entire length of her arm as she gazed into his eyes. He raised her hand so that it was eye level, folding her middle two fingers down to her palm.

"What does that mean?"

"It's a secret"

She narrowed her eyes at him, before studying the shape her hand was making. He could almost see her brain working to decipher the code. He softly folded all her fingers down leaving only her smallest finger up.

"I" she whispered

He folded her small finger down and uncurled her thumb and finger beside it.

"L"

He held her eye contact as he folded her finger down and uncurled her pinkie finger.

"Y"

He held his hand up in the same sign he had started with and pulled her close to his body as he breathed into her ear.

"It means …"

"I love you" she interrupted.

He smiled at her superior brain. One of the things he loved most about her was her amazing ability to absorb knowledge. He had only shown her how to sign the letter of the alphabet a handful of times.

"Yes, I love you"

Sara hummed her response into his neck, she was busy sucking and nibbling at the skin there as he stroked her back.

Grissom held her waist and pushed her gently away from him as she stared at him with curiosity. She stepped backwards into the room untying the belt which was holding her dress in place and allowing it to fall open and show him her purple underwear. The soft lace material was completely see through and he could feel his body respond immediately.

Passion ignited in his body and he couldn't resist her. He moved into the room with an urgency that was almost predatory and gathered her into his arms, swooping the dress down off her shoulders and onto a heap on the floor. He paused for a moment taking in the vision in front of him, silently thanking god that he had finally had the courage to follow his heart.

Greg's aphrodisiac cocktail's had obviously done the trick, in one fell swoop she had removed his shirt and pushed him back onto the bed tracing passionate kisses down his chest and fumbling with his belt. He wasn't really sure what he should be doing, she had taken him by surprise and he was rendered almost helpless by the tender kisses she was adorning on his body. He didn't think he could get any harder until she finally slipped his trousers down and surveyed her handiwork with a cheeky smile.

His entire body was throbbing and waves of heat coursed over him. He lips curled around the sensitive skin on his tip before she slipped lower at a painstakingly slow pace. He wasn't sure he could handle what she was doing to him; his heart was racing so fast he couldn't bear it and when she looked at him with those sultry darkened eyes he just had to have her.

He flipped her over, a small scream of delight escaping from her mouth. He was never forceful in his lovemaking. He liked to take his time and savour every moment, he liked to have her writhing in pleasure before he even thought about entering her. This was different. He needed her. He needed her right now and he plunged into her hard with an unexpected urgency.

Sara let out a loud moan which only spurred him on even more as he felt her grind and tremble underneath him. He loved to watch her lose control, loved looking into her beautiful brown eyes as they clouded over with passion. He slipped his hand under the base of her spine tilting her pelvis upwards towards him, allowing him even deeper penetration and she cried out at the sensation.

"Oh my god … Gil"

When she would normally breathe it in his ear for fear of being heard she cried it out into the darkness of the room as they both shuddered with their climax and collapsed onto the soft fabric on the bed.

They lay in each other's arms for an inordinate amount of time. He played with her hair and watched her as she struggled to keep awake.

"I meant it"

He whispered to her, his eyes soft and loving. He loved lying beside her, loved breathing in her scent and feeling her soft skin against his.

"Meant what?"

He smiled at her slow uptake. He was used to her lightning fast brain; it was a novelty for her to be left behind.

"I love you"


	20. Chapter 20

Warrick seemed to have been overcome by some animal instinct as he watched her dance. He couldn't resist. He tried, his mind focussed completely on the piano keys but she knew how to manipulate him. Catherine only had to lock eyes with him and he was putty in her hands. Usually she chose to ignore her power over him but somehow this break had changed the dynamics of their relationship completely. It would have been an entirely different story if Tina had come as planned.

His thoughts wandered to his wife momentarily. She had chosen to ignore him the entire time he had been there. He was dreading returning home. There would inevitably be rows and accusations. He wondered if he could effectively lie about his relationship with Catherine. He had spent so much of his time defending himself to her he wasn't sure he even wanted to go to the effort of denying anything anymore. Right now he was happy to enjoy what little time they had left to indulge in their sordid, adulterous affair.

She kept her legs twisted around his body as he mounted the stairs. Their lips never parting and their bodies pressed so hard together not a breath could pass between them. So consumed in their passion that they _almost_ didn't hear the muttering's coming from the hallway at the top of the stairs. They _almost_ didn't witness Grissom curling Sara's fingers into shapes, ever so gently and tenderly. They _almost_ didn't hear them utter those precious words and they _almost_ didn't witness Sara step back into the bedroom and out of sight followed by a very obviously hungry Gil Grissom.

Warrick and Catherine stood there for a few moments, frozen on the staircase much like two children who had just witnessed their parents making love. They were unsure what they should be doing, they had witnessed something which they had long suspected but never had confirmed. If either Sara or Grissom knew they were there they would have been able to see their blushes from space.

Catherine was desperate to burst into the room and feign surprise when she caught them in the act. She was even tempted to retrieve her camera first but one look from Warrick and Sara and Grissom's escapades were soon forgotten. The excitement and intrigue in her eyes were replaced by raw uninhibited passion as they took the rest of the stairs and collapsed onto the bed in a crumpled heap of skin and sweat.

Warrick was determined to pace himself this time. He intended to explore every inch of Catherine's body. He had often fantasised about this moment, Tina's suspicions weren't completely unwarranted after all.

His hands ran down the length of her body, his fingertips gently brushing her skin on their journey. He slipped the tiny thong over her hips and down her leg. He took it slowly making sure to keep eye contact with her the whole time. He held her outstretched leg on his shoulder as he began kissing along the inside of it. Her ankle, her calf, the crook of her knee, the soft skin on her thigh before finally reaching his prize.

She was already writhing in anticipation and as his hands and his tongue explored she growled and moaned, grasping his hair as she was hit with wave after wave of rippling pleasure.

"You better hurry up and fuck me, Warrick Brown"

He wasn't surprised at how forceful she was being, he always pictured her as dominant in a sexual situation. His hands grabbed her waist and pulled her to him, teasing her for a moment before she bucked her hips and he slid inside her. His body reacted to her in ways he hadn't expected, the slightest movement or sound that escaped her lips had him fighting to remain in control and he found himself feeling things he had never felt before. His climax washed over him painfully slowly, he wondered if it was dangerous to be on the cusp of an orgasm for such a long period of time but when it finally washed over him and sent him over the edge it was glorious. They were both shaking and shuddering by the time they collapsed together covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

Warrick was amazed at how she could remain looking perfect and poised even after their marathon session. He felt like his heart was pounding right out of his chest. Catherine reached over him, making sure the entire length of her body was pressed against his as she breathed in his ear.

"I think my fantasy was worth waiting for"

She clicked off the light and settled into his arms for the night. He was sure that as he drifted off to sleep he could hear Sara's voice calling out into the dark house.

* * *

><p>Catherine slipped out of Warrick's arms before it got too light and everyone else was awake. He didn't even stir his mind obviously deep in a dream state. She kissed him gently and pulled open one of his drawers, smiling at the predictable emptiness of it. She couldn't go sauntering across the hall in just her thong, her dress lay abandoned in the music room. Greg's cocktails had a lot to answer for.<p>

She unzipped his case and slipped out his UNLV football jersey, slipping it over her shoulders and smiling as the soft fabric covered her exposed skin and held her in a warm embrace. She took one last glance at Warrick before picking up her shoes and slipping out of the room. She clipped the door closed quietly, the last thing she needed was to be waking the whole house. As she turned to tiptoe into her own room she came face to face with Gil Grissom.

They both paused, stunned at the serendipity of it all and embarrassed that they had both been caught in the exact same situation as each other.

Grissom spoke first; his stuttered excuses wouldn't have convinced a 5 year old.

"We … were... just, I was teaching her to play chess… I guess time got away from us"

Catherine eyed him suspiciously. She knew exactly what they had been doing that night and chess had nothing to do with it.

"Whatever you want to call it Gil, that's fine with me."

Grissom frowned; he was completely immune to the subtlety of a woman's conversation. Sara would be good for him. She always had to spell things out to him, maybe now he had a little female company she wouldn't have to do it so often.

"I won't tell if you won't"

Grissom's frown turned into a small smile as the penny slowly dropped.

"Deal"

She rubbed his shoulder as he took off in pursuit of his own bed. Catherine sighed as she looked at her watch. It was 5am. Her little hallway conversation had left her feeling wide awake and she had nowhere to go. A look down the stairway reminded her of her dress in the music room. She would have time to retrieve it before anyone else woke up. At least she hoped she would, the only other person she could sufficiently bribe was Sara although she was sure she could probably palm Greg off with a promise of showing him the hidden safe.

She padded down the staircase quietly, the house was incredibly quiet. Even although her home was in the suburbs it was still a constant hive of noise and activity. Quiet didn't sit well with her. The dress was very obviously piled onto the floor, waiting for someone to find it and wonder why she would possibly decide to walk around the house naked.

She didn't see the lights or hear the sound of the car as she daintily pressed her fingers on the piano keys. She had never learned to play, she was glad Warrick had played for her. There was something incredibly sexy about a man playing piano so masterfully. She was certain it had something to do with the lightness and quickness of his fingers. She could certainly vouch for their effectiveness.

The doorbell echoed through the hallway.

Catherine was stunned, they weren't expecting anyone and the villa wasn't exactly on the beaten track. Add to that the fact that it was 5am Catherine could feel an overwhelming sense of dread.

She padded to the doorway trying both to hide and to catch a glimpse of her mystery visitor and failing at both. When she opened the door wide her breath caught in her mouth, her brain stopped working, and her mouth gaped open. Of all the people she would have expected to show up at her house at 5am Tina Brown was not one of them.

She could feel the woman's eyes draw over her as a realisation hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Catherine? Isn't that Warrick's shirt?"


	21. Chapter 21

"WARRICK!"

He stirred in his blissful post coital sleep, he was sure he must have been dreaming. He opened his eyes and frowned into the empty room. He was still at the Villa, that much was for sure. Why was he hearing Tina's voice?

"WARRICK"

Now he knew he hadn't imagined that one.

That was his wife.

Here.

In Catherine's Villa.

"Warrick you better get down here!"

And Catherine was with her. He suddenly felt the horror of the situation wash over him. He had taken a huge risk and though that he would get away with it. He thought that Tina would spend the weekend sulking and by the time he got home she would realise how unreasonable she had been and apologise to him. Turns out he was going to be the one apologising.

A lot.

He sheepishly padded out the room; Nick was hovering at the top of the stairs just out of the women's viewpoint. He eyed Warrick with an 'I told you so look'

"Hey man, I don't need that right now ok?"

"You're in trouble man, Tina looks mighty pissed"

"Well she doesn't know anything happened, and she's not going to. Right?"

Nick raised his hands in surrender. Warrick had never thought that his friend would betray him but every now and then he felt the need to confirm it.

"Dude, she doesn't need me to tell her, take a look"

Warrick sighed deeply and peered round the wall to see Tina and Catherine standing in the hallway.

Catherine stood in the corner looking like a naughty schoolgirl, she was wearing his shirt. His UNLV sweater, the most obviously his sweater she could have chosen. She did look a vision in it, her hair hanging loose over the shoulders and the top skimming her shapely thighs just covering her enough to be decent but not enough to be considered demure.

Tina stood in front of the door, staring at the stairs with fire in her eyes. She tapped her foot and crossed her arms across her chest. She was angry alright; Warrick had never seen her radiate so much negative energy before.

"What are you two whispering about?"

Sara appeared behind them and peered between their heads, Tina must have heard the movement as she looked up and Warrick and Nick quickly shifted behind the wall again swiping Sara with them. Sara narrowed her eyes at them and stuck her head around the wall again, immediately casting her eyes over the situation and returning to the boys.

"You're in trouble"

"Thanks Sara, that's really helpful"

"Well being cranky isn't going to solve it; you have to tell her the truth. Every woman just wants to be worth the truth Warrick."

If he had been paying attention he would have noticed that she stomped off into Grissom's room and not her own but his mind was occupied elsewhere.

"Hey, dude. Your gonna have to take it like a man"

Warrick knew he was right; no amount of lying would save this situation. Someone was going to get hurt eventually and if he wanted to try and save Catherine and Tina's feelings he was going to have to bear the brunt of the whole thing.

Either that or lie through his teeth.

He felt like he was moving in slow motion as he stepped out onto the landing and the gaze of both women fell on him. Tina's was one of pure venom and hatred, Catherine's was more apologetic, regretful maybe.

He half hoped she didn't regret what they had done, he didn't. He regretted not doing it years before, when Tina hadn't featured at all. He regretted putting her through being the dirty little mistress for his own benefit. He didn't regret last night, not one bit. Every single second he had spent with her felt like it was meant to be, he had fully intended to break up with Tina when he got home. Fully intended to explore the idea of a real relationship with Catherine. Maybe all this was a blessing in disguise.

"Tina what are you doing here? You know I'm coming home today anyway"

The venom and anger left her eyes in an instant, it was as though the second he descended the stairs she could read his mind. The anger in her eyes was replaced with fear and her eyes were suddenly brimming with tears. He didn't know what to do. Angry women he could deal with, he had been making women mad for many years but crying women where a different thing entirely. She crumbled before his very eyes and as much as he wanted to remain detached and aloof in front of Catherine he didn't want to hurt her, he didn't particularly enjoy hurting anyone.

So he went to her, he approached Tina carefully. Trying to gauge the reactions of both women.

"Tina, I have to talk to you…."

Catherine started to walk away, he was about to call her back. About to confess everything and tell Tina it was over. It would have been a huge gesture and a huge risk. He could potentially lose everything in one fell swoop. He started to move towards Catherine, to tell her to stay. Then she could witness what he was about to do for her.

For them.

Then Tina found her voice again.

"I'm pregnant Warrick"

Catherine froze on the stairs, her eyes momentarily finding Warricks and mirroring his shocked expression. He couldn't be sure he'd heard her right. Here she had driven halfway across the state in the middle of the night, caught him cheating on her and about to end their relationship. Was she making it up? Maybe the realisation that he could actually disappear into the sunset with Catherine quite easily had been too much for her and she had thought up this as a way to keep him. He was sure they had been careful to protect against pregnancy.

Then he remembered the doctor at the hospital, the one she had reverently denied cheating with. The one whose car just happened to be parked outside their home frequently at night times when he was on shift. The one who called her at least 20 times a day and leaves her little post-it notes at work. The one who got her expensive jewellery at Christmas time when he bought nothing for anyone else. The one he had caught her in bed with one night when he came home for something. The one he had chosen to forgive her for.

"Is it mine?"

"I … of course it's yours."

Warrick didn't like something about the shift in her eyes; the panic stricken look which covered her face told him there was a lot more to this than she was telling him. He was angry, angry that she chose to come all the way here to tell him, probably just in a feeble attempt to make Catherine jealous. She probably thought he would have been over the moon and all would have been forgiven but life didn't work that way. He needed answers and he needed them now,

"Is. It. MINE. Tina?"

"I … I don't know"


	22. Chapter 22

As a mistress it was inevitable that at some point their paths would cross. How ironic that Catherine and Tina had not met once in the entire year that Warrick had been married yet the very weekend they consummated their affair she should show up on the doorstep with an announcement like that.

Catherine had never been a mistress before, she had been on the opposite side of that relationship and it hurt. She had sworn that no matter what she would never allow herself to do that to another woman. She would never encourage a man to do that to another woman. She was learning that it wasn't all that easy.

Attraction could not be controlled. Especially an attraction that had been simmering under the surface for many years, there was always going to be a point where the simmer would boil over. With something growing for so long it was bound to be explosive and passionate but of course it was always going to be short lived. It was never going to become anything but a whisper of a relationship. It still hurt her somewhere deep down in her soul when she realised what she had done.

For a fraction of a second he was coming to her, he had turned his back on his wife and gone after her. She had to admit that in that moment she had felt a flutter in her heart unlike anything she had felt before. Then as quickly as it had come Tina shattered it into a thousand pieces. She knew that if there was even a shadow of a chance he could be the father to her child that he would NEVER turn his back on her again. Warrick may be many things but she was certain he would make an excellent father.

She turned on her heel without a single word. There was nothing to say, their affair was over. The definition of ships passing in the night. She didn't regret it, she didn't regret anything. 'Never doubt and never look back' that was her motto. That's the way she lived her life. Sometimes it was a useful motto to have. Sometimes not looking back was useful, essential even. This time she wanted to look back, she wanted more than anything to look back as she walked up those stairs. She wanted to look back and see his eyes gazing after her. She wanted to see the longing in them but she knew that if she did she would never be able to keep walking.

Nick was standing at the top of the stairs, he held out his arms to her but the tears were building up already. She couldn't cope with a hug right now; she needed to be on her own. She brushed past him and slammed her bedroom door closed pressing her body against the cold wooden surface and squeezing her eyes shut as hard as she could. A few deep breaths and the need to cry was gone, she was Catherine Willows she did not cry over a man. She certainly did not cry over a man who she knew was married.

A quiet knocking on the door made her stand up straight and compose herself.

"I'm ok Nicky, I'll be ok"

She hoped she sounded cool and collected like she intended too, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and rolled her eyes. She really hoped she did. If Nick saw her like this with her puffy eyes and hastily tied back hair he would think something terrible had happened when in truth it was something relatively minor in the grand scheme of things.

"No Cath, it's me. Can I come in please?"

His voice sent shivers down her spine. She had broken the cardinal rule of being a good mistress – never fall in love.

The trouble with love is, it can never be controlled or predicted. If someone was going to fall in love with a person it didn't matter how much logic they applied to the feeling, no amount of denial would make it go away. It eventually burned so deep into your soul that the only choice was to act on it. Just look at Grissom and Sara for instance. They had tried every trick in the book to avoid falling for each other, both of them completely oblivious to the glaringly obvious fact that they were smitten with each other. All their tricks had failed of course, they were destined to be together and fate always won. So no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she was ok with being Warrick's dirty little secret, the truth was she actually wanted him to feel the same way about her. She wanted him to come after her and declare his undying love for her. Fate had different plans for Warrick and Catherine though, Fate was stepping in with an altogether different scenario and while she wanted to swing open the door and welcome him into her arms she knew that he had to do the right thing.

Going to her was _not_ the right thing.

"You should be with your wife Warrick"

"Let me in Catherine, I need to speak with you"

His tone was calm and even, it intrigued her. She had a sense that he was there to explain rather than sweep her off her feet. She was a little disappointed but concluded that she would rather take his friendship than nothing at all. Warrick held a special place in her heart, he always would and she wasn't about to let that slip away without a fight.

The door slowly opened and he slipped into the room. His hardened expression melted as he looked over her. It must have been obvious she was upset, she hated that she was so transparent to him.

"I'm going to go home… with Tina"

She nodded in response; her word appeared to be choked in her throat. Caught somewhere between spoken and swallowed in her indecision.

"I uh I don't really know what we're going to do but…"

"You should go; you should make it up to her"

"And what about…"

"Hey, we were never going to be anything more than a fling, I mean it would never have worked anyway. It's for the best"

Warrick nodded sadly as he stepped out of the room and she stared after him feeling a knot form in her stomach. He was walking away from her and she knew she had the power to stop him. She knew that if she said the right words at this very moment he would come back to her but she also knew that Warrick was the kind of person to harbour regrets, if she allowed him, if she asked him to turn his back on his unborn child he would never forgive himself. He would never forgive her. Before he closed the door he held her gaze one last time.

"For the record..."

He reached out and stroked her cheek with his hand; she loved how gentle his caress was. She could barely feel him against her skin and yet her senses were alive with electricity as he brushed across her cheekbone.

"I think we would have been great together…"


	23. Chapter 23

Sara crept into the room as quietly as she could. It was a risky move with Nick and Warrick loitering just a few feet away but she had an insatiable urge to feel him close to her. He was sleeping soundly when she arrived. His breathing was calm and relaxed and she smiled as she watched him for a few moments. She wondered what he was dreaming of as he hummed a little and a smile played on the corners of his mouth.

She loved him like this, free from the stress and heartbreak of daily life, especially _their_ daily life. She kicked off her slippers and slid into the bed. Her hand snaking around his body up towards his chest. The feel of his warm body against hers was instantly relaxing. He stirred under her touch, moving slightly until their bodies fit together like jigsaw pieces.

"This is nice..."

"I couldn't sleep, there's…. stuff… going on downstairs"

"What kind of … stuff?"

He turned to face her, impressed to see she was wearing the soft silk negligée he had bought for her. His hands couldn't help but caress the fabric as it skimmed her hips.

"Stuff that doesn't concern you, for once"

She threw him her trademark half smile, rendering him completely defenceless to her charms. She pulled him close for a slow lingering kiss.

"We shouldn't be together like this, we could get caught"

"I know. I'm so naughty"

"Stop it Sara. You know what would happen if this got out"

Sara was sure she could almost hear her heart deflate, her ideal of a relationship that they didn't have to hide from everyone they held dear crushed. This weekend had been a small glimpse of what it could be like, how it would feel to have a normal relationship and she had enjoyed the relief it brought. She felt sad that it would soon be over.

"You're right, I should just go"

She moved to slip out of the bed and leave the room but he grabbed her arm.

"Sara… stay"

She whirled round to glare at him, her eyes fixed and angry.

"You can't have it both ways Gil. Not all the time"

She waited for him to say something, waited for his comfort or reassurance. Waited for him to tell her she was worth it but as so often happened when he faced confrontation with her his words seemed to get choked in his throat.

"Forget it"

She left the room, she had to. She could feel anger and sorrow well up inside of her and she didn't really want him to see either. She would definitely say things she would regret. The truth was she understood why he didn't want it to come out. Deep down she didn't want it to come out either but every now and then she had a bit of a wobble. A moment where she felt like she wasn't worth the truth. She couldn't be his dirty little secret forever; at some point their relationship was going to be public knowledge. She was actually surprised they had kept it secret for so long.

"Sara..? I … I'm sorry. I thought … well I thought this was ok"

He sat on the bed nervously twirling his fingers with his head bowed. She could almost see him wrestling with his conscience. She was sure he had similar moments; times when he wanted nothing more than to hold her close and whisper sweet nothings in her ear despite the proximity of their co-workers.

"I get it, its ok."

"No Sara, it's not. If you don't want to do this anymore I understand. I really do. It would mean big changes"

She stroked his face gently, moving his face until his eyes met hers.

"I want to do this. I just had a moment of madness. Forget I said anything"

"You know, they pretty much all know already anyway"

"Yea, we're not so good at keeping secrets huh?"

She shuffled over in the bed until her chest was pressed against his back and she hooked her legs over his, resting her head on his shoulders. He was still tense and stressed; his thoughts were still running ahead of themselves she could almost see his brain whirring through the possibilities. She could think of one sure fire stress buster and she slowly slipped her hands down through the waistband of his trousers.

"Sara…"

She couldn't tell from the tone of his voice if he approved or not, he was obviously worried about getting caught in the act. She stood up and pulled a long sheer scarf from her bag and tied it to the outside handle of her room.

"Greg is the only one who would come into my room without knocking Gil, and he knows the code"

His hands rested on the arch of her back, his thumbs gently stroking the sensitive skin there as she stood in front of him and ran her hands through his hair.

"I do love you, you know"

He pulled her towards him and lay back on the bed with her.

"I know you do."

Their innocent embrace soon turned into something more passionate. Grissom kissed that sensitive spot on her neck he knew drove her wild and she gently drew her nails over his back which left him almost purring into her ear.

"You know, I'm not sure I can move in with you, Gil. Not if you keep taking advantage of me like this"

He slipped the negligée from her shoulders, slowly kissing every inch of skin he exposed.

"Also, we have to leave in 30 minutes"

He moved back up her body until he was eye level with her, holding her gaze for a few moments more than necessary. When he looked at her like that she felt heat rush all over her body, that look would almost have her trembling with anticipation without even the suggestion of sexual contact. He held her gaze as he slipped inside her slowly and controlled. Her gasps filled him with desire; he couldn't get enough of this woman.

He could feel her body shuddering beneath him as she whispered his name in a long drawn out breath. She was close, he could feel her muscles closing in around him and her legs twist around his waist begging him to push deeper. She twisted her spine, arching her back to an impossible angle as her sighs turned to delicious growled moans and he felt himself following her over the edge of pleasure, desperately fighting to last longer.

"Oh god Gil, don't stop"

"I couldn't stop if you asked me to. You drive me crazy"

He willed the feeling to last longer while also praying for the sweet release of the pressure that was building in his groin. His shuddering climax washed over him in wave after wave of pleasure and he collapsed onto the bed beside her, fighting to control his breath.

"I think I like us just the way we are, who needs friends right?"


	24. Chapter 24

Catherine had insisted on a team breakfast on the morning they were to leave. It should have been a happy occasion but in truth everyone was feeling rather sullen and worse for wear. They sat around the table nursing their heavy hangovers in silence as the breakfast plates were passed out.

Sara and Grissom made a pointed effort not to arrive together. They weren't very sure why they bothered, considering the weekend they had had. Not a single person lifted their gaze to look at them. There wasn't a single knowing smile or raised eyebrow to be seen.

Brass was the first to break the silence; he tilted his coffee cup before taking a long sip.

"Well I for one am looking forward to my own bed"

Everyone mumbled in agreement, there was a lot to be said for finding comfort in your own personal space. Sara suddenly found herself considering this as she shuffled her muesli around in its bowl. This weekend had undeniably changed her life; Grissom had actually spontaneously taken charge and made a huge step in their relationship. A step that she had even been scared to take and he had done it without prompting and prodding. Without months of hinting, without her having to spell it out in front of him very clearly he had asked her to live with him.

Of course her acceptance was guaranteed but now that they faced the reality of sharing a space she was beginning to realise just what a big step it really was.

They would be living together. In the same house. Together.

The reality was that they spent almost every waking, and sleeping, moment together anyway. It wouldn't be a massive change to their routine but the magnitude of defining their living arrangements scared her somewhat.

Things were beginning to change already. The shift was miniscule but she could sense it and she knew deep down it was only the start. She knew that eventually she and Grissom would be justifying their relationship to the higher powers. The more people who suspected the closer they came to that possibility and while neither of them voiced it, they both knew they were letting their guard down.

It had been easy at first, to keep their secret. Very rarely did they slip up at work, they flirted less than they had in all those years before they became a couple. Gradually the comments and looks between them penetrated through to the workplace and they found themselves commenting on things very pointedly and sharing in their little private jokes unknown to the rest of the team. If they had looked hard enough they would have spotted it. If they had looked at all it would have been glaringly obvious what was going on between them yet they had somehow managed to keep it secret and it was thrilling.

She had always known their relationship would be special. They were kindred spirits, destined to be together despite all of the setbacks and the heartache, despite Grissom's irritating ability to upset her she knew that eventually, _eventually_ they would be together. And it would be beautiful.

Faced with the prospect of changing that she wondered if she could be trusted to make the right decision. When something was going so well was there a need to progress and define it?

"Are you alright Sara?"

Nick broke through her thought process and she looked up from her soggy breakfast to a multitude of eyes on her. She had been so lost in her thoughts she had missed their entire conversation.

"Uh, sure. I'm fine"

Everyone started filtering out, Greg bounded over to the chair beside her. He flipped it round so he could sit on it with his head resting on the backrest and studied her carefully.

"I didn't find any treasure…"

She could tell immediately what he was trying to do. He often did this to her, skirted around a subject to gauge her mood before he launched into it.

"I better dig out my tiny Violin…"

"You know I could always get Archie to get that photo back"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Your upset that I know aren't you?"

"Not you. Everyone knows"

"I don't think everyone knows, and even if they did would it matter?"

"It matters to me"

Catherine appeared at the foot of the table regarding them with a smile.

"You know, if I didn't know any better I'd swear _you_ two had a thing going on"

If she hadn't emphasised the _you_ in her statement Sara would have believed her but this was Catherine's way of telling her she would keep quiet about this weekend. She suddenly realised that Greg was right. It wouldn't matter if the team knew because they were her team. They were a family and as long as she had their support and more importantly their discretion they would be ok.

The cars were loaded and they made the long journey back to the bright lights of the city. When they dropped Greg at his apartment he had taken great joy in grinning and winking through the window as he disappeared into the building.

Grissom turned to her before he drove on. He held her gaze for a few long moments before speaking.

"Do you want to go grab something to eat first?"

She stared out the window at the falling rain. She watched the people running this way and that with their umbrella's and jackets raised over their heads and their arms around each other. Each and every one of them consumed with their own lives, their own thoughts, their own problems and her mind was taken over with clarity. She knew exactly what she wanted and even although it scared her to move their relationship forward another step it excited her more.

"I want to go home"

He put the car into drive and pulled away from the side of the road, joining the throng of traffic.

"Ok, your place or mine?"

"How about ours?"


	25. Chapter 25

Catherine drove home through the dark Vegas streets barely listening to the sounds coming from the stereo. The darkness seemed to close in around her as her loneliness grew. Her mother and Lindsay were still on vacation, her home would be empty.

She steered her car to the driveway and placed her head on the steering wheel with a heavy sigh.

"I know the feeling"

The last person she expected to be slipping into her passenger seat was Warrick. Under the circumstances he should be anywhere but in her car at that moment.

"What are you doing here?"

"I… I couldn't do it. I can't be with her Cath"

Catherine knew she should be sending him away, she should be angry with him for coming to her. He was using her and she knew it, yet she didn't want to push him away. She wanted to pull him closer to her and show him just what he would be missing when he went to his wife, which he inevitably would. She was pondering this silently as she sat there, her conscience wrestling with her desire as she stared at the steering wheel. She almost flinched when his hand stroked her cheek.

"You want to come in for a drink?"

Externally she was a confident, in control woman. She swung her legs around in the chair, swishing her hair and swinging her hips as she walked to the door. She knew he was watching her. He had a way of watching her that always made her feel desirable. His eyes never saw her as anything other than beautiful. Even when she felt anything but he would still look at her with that twinkle, with that smile and she knew what he was thinking, she knew exactly what he thought of her. Who was she to smother his fantasies?

Internally she may have been screaming at herself, internally she wanted to get as far away from this situation as possible. He was married, she was nobody's mistress. She knew that she was setting herself up for a huge fall. Her heart had the potential to take a bashing with him if she allowed herself to get too involved.

She was too involved already.

She stepped through the doors to her home and silently calmed her nerves, she was glad he was there in a way. She had never liked empty houses. There was something very wrong about coming home to a soulless empty space. Even when her house was quiet in the dead of night or when she crept in at the early hours of the morning it would still breathe, it was still full of life.

She fixed them drinks as he wandered around gazing at the photographs and mementoes all around them. He had been in her home before; it was usually a lot more comfortable than this. The sexual tension surrounding them had changed the dynamics of their relationship considerably and the air was thick with anticipation.

She knew what she wanted his visit to mean, deep down she had always hoped that he would come to her. She worried that he was there for advice or guidance. She wasn't sure she could be trusted to tell him the right thing when she had a vested interest in him doing something very wrong.

"Where's Lindsay?"

She wondered if he had ulterior motives in asking her this question, hoped perhaps that he was asking for permission to be there in a way.

"She's uh… my mother took her to New York for the weekend. She'll be home tomorrow"

He swallowed his drink in one gulp and switched the stereo on before moving to fix another one for them both. As he handed it to her their hands touched and their eyes locked. She needn't have worried anymore after that, that simple contact had spoken volumes and their eyes had reached a silent understanding.

This was about one thing and one thing only.

Their glasses tumbled to the ground, the ice scattering over the wooden floors causing an unheard clatter. They were consumed with each other, everything else faded away in their passion as their hands, their lips and their bodies met.

He was suddenly all over her, his hands grabbing and groping so fast she couldn't quite keep up. His lips and tongue exploring her neck, nibbling her jaw and whispering in her ear. He moved over her pushing his body to hers, letting her know how ready he was.

"God, it was always you Catherine. Always"

He had already pulled off his shirt and her hands gently danced over his chest, marvelling at the firm muscles he had exposed. She let her hand fall, resting on his belt with a glint in her eye before he met her lips again.

Her heart beat so fast she swore it was pounding right out of her chest as he slowly unbuttoned her shirt. His eyes and lips covering every inch of the soft creamy skin he exposed.

"You taste so good"

She twisted and writhed under the touch of his fingers as they skimmed her inner thighs and entered her slowly and gently. His tongue was teasing at her firm nipple as she ran her fingers through his hair gifting him with a long moan from her lips.

He was out with her reach, enjoying the control he had over her. Her nails grazed his strong back as she bucked her hips in response to his pulsating finger movements.

"You have to let me…"

He smiled as he gazed at her, loving every second he could make her pant like that. He raised a finger to her lips to silence her pleas as her breaths transformed into sighs and moans. Her chest heaving as her muscles cramped and pulsed around him.

She wasn't about to let him have all the fun, her tongue snaked out of her mouth to caress his finger. Drawing it in as she ran her teeth over it before sucking as sensually as she could under the circumstances.

With his guard down she was able to free herself from his grasp and moved swiftly from the sofa to the floor, removing his trousers as she went. He was more than ready, he almost throbbed in response to her lips hovering over his tip, and she met his eyes for the smallest of seconds before he was consumed with the trembling passion only a woman like Catherine could provide.

His head rolled back as word failed to come from his mouth. He merely whispered half formed profanities as the sensations washed over him. He was nearing the edge, she could feel his reactions to her movements with every stroke, and every lick she made she could swear he was getting harder.

All of a sudden he had whipped her round, pinning her hands to the back of the sofa. She raised one knee onto the chair and arched her back as he slid inside her with a lustful moan.

He felt good as they adjusted to each other, his rhythm soon matched by hers as his free hand caressed her entire body. Slowly, gently coaxing her to a climax. She arched her back into him as he pounded harder, her hands gripping the fabric of the sofa furiously as though it was the only thing keeping her up.

His climax was long, prolonged and furious. He pressed deep into her as he whispered her name, sighing as his body deflated along the length of her back, his hands skimming along the curves of her body one last time.

They didn't collapse into each other's arms or hold each other into the small hours of the night. They simply dressed in silence and walked side by side to the porch.

He stood over her, watching her face for signs of regret or guilt. When she met his eyes every spark of conscience she felt vanished, every ounce of fear and despair gone into those never-ending emerald pools.

He could use her this way as long as he liked, she would never turn him away.


	26. Chapter 26

Bringing Sara 'home' to his apartment had him uncharacteristically nervous. He had lived alone for a long time; the thought of sharing his space with another person would have been alien to him a few years ago. Having had a relationship on the slow burner with Sara for such a long time he had a confidence in their relationship he had never had before. Hence why it made so much sense to progress to the next level.

Sara didn't like for him to make a fuss. They had simply decided to live together and then drove to his apartment. It was the logical choice of course; his apartment was much bigger than hers and a lot closer to work. As he unlocked the door he suddenly realised how much his personality had rubbed off on his surroundings. In contrast to her impeccably organised and clean studio, his townhouse was positively brimming with clutter. His clutter.

There was nothing feminine about his home at all. Plain white walls, sparse black floors and metallic furniture. One wall was completely filled with his tanks of bugs, boxes of experiments and jars of oddities. When he had moved in he felt a huge sense of achievement when he strung up his framed leaves and butterflies, that was as far as his decoration had stretched.

By contrast Sara's home was brimming with soft furnishings and mementoes, her walls were decorated in an array of warm comforting colours. He loved spending time there, it was like a cocoon. The way it closed in around him in a comforting embrace made him immediately comfortable and at home.

Ironic really that their homes would reflect so greatly on their personalities. He wondered if their shared home would be as beautiful as their shared lives.

She had been in his apartment so many times, stepped through the door a countless number of times. She had cooked in his kitchen, ate at his table, bathed in his bathroom and slept in his bed. She had never been uncomfortable or tense when walking through this very door and yet today she stood at the threshold like a nervous child about to tell her parents she had been naughty.

"What's wrong?"

He instinctively reached for her, his hand caressing her cheek and moving her head to meet her eyes.

"I never realised… just how separately we really lived"

"What do you mean?"

He could almost see her mood clouding over. Her eyes were sad, filled with sorrow from a completely unknown source. From him at least. He wasn't sure where this was going but he didn't like it.

"How many times have I been here? How many times have I slept here?"

He opened and closed his mouth, searching for an answer whilst still trying to understand the question. He suspected it was rhetorical but worried that by not attempting to answer he would appear not to care.

"There is nothing of me here. Nothing at all"

His eyes cast over their surroundings, searching for something. Anything that was hers. There were a lot of things there that reminded him of her but she was right, there was nothing there that belonged to her.

She had cast her influence over his choice of decoration though. He would never have thought of owning a plant before he met her. The concept of colour on the walls was something he was completely oblivious to until he visited Sara's apartment. He had painted his bedroom a soft lavender colour almost immediately. Little things like putting curtains on the windows or a rug on the floor had all been inadvertently influenced by her, he hadn't even realised the significance of these changes until now.

"We can move all your things here tomorrow"

"My stuff will look weird here, it doesn't fit in"

Grissom smiled as he slipped his hands on her waist and pulled her close grazing her lips with a soft kiss.

"We'll make it work"

She was so tense. Her entire body stiff and stressed from worrying. He rubbed her shoulders gently as she moved towards the sofa. She flopped down on the shiny leather without another word, staring around the apartment again. He was worried she was getting second thoughts. Maybe she didn't want to live with him at all.

"Hey, I'll make us something to eat and then if you want we can go over to yours and get some things ok?"

She didn't acknowledge him at all; she was glancing over the overstuffed bookcase. Her fingers dancing along the spines of the books with a small smile as he ventured into the kitchen to see what he could cook. He started chopping vegetables and boiling pasta when she walked over to him with a book in her hands. Sliding onto the tall stool by the stove she began to flick through the pages, looking at the vivid images as the waved past in a flurry of colour.

"I bought you this, in San Francisco. Do you remember?"

He glanced over at the massive hardback. He remembered very well. It was always a favourite book of his, whether it was because it had come from Sara or because it was a good book in its own right remained to be seen. As he tossed his vegetables into a wok something fell from its pages and onto the worktop. He frowned as she held it in her hands, studying it with a nostalgic look.

"You kept this awful photo? God that was so long ago"

He took the photograph from her hands; he had forgotten putting it there. That glorious week in San Francisco when they had met so long ago, when he had fallen in love without even realising it. She was right it was such a long time ago. They were so happy at that time, so young and carefree before life got in the way of everything.

"Why wouldn't I keep it? And it's not awful either, you're beautiful"

He put down his spatula and proudly pinned the photograph to the fridge with a magnet. In her home the fridge was covered with notes, menu's, quotes and photographs.

"There, now there's something of you here always"


	27. Chapter 27

Sara stood in her tiny apartment somewhat bewildered. Grissom had driven her there in the middle of a dark wet night to let her collect some of her things. She looked around in an attempt to decipher just what was special enough to be granted access to her first box. It was harder than she had thought because in actual fact these were just things. Things she could easily live without but things that each had a different significance to her.

The little carved wooden turtle that sat on her bookcase may have had no significance to the naked eye but to her it was a precious memento of her time in San Francisco bay with Gil Grissom. He had bought it for her one afternoon as they strolled around the bay eating ice cream and enjoying the glorious warmth of the sun.

They had spotted a pair of turtles sunning themselves on a rock. She had excitedly pointed them out, reeling off a blurb of facts on their species and habits. She had been so happy that day, she felt so special to be spending that time with him.

A day or two later she had come to class and sitting at her desk was that little turtle, waiting for her. Every day since when she looked at that little supposedly insignificant turtle she had been transported back to that day. She picked it up and placed it in her, so far, empty box.

He came out of the bathroom and gazed in her box.

"That's all you have?"

He picked it up and moved it around in his hands. She suspected at first that he didn't remember that the memory had been so insignificant to him that he had erased it. But his mouth soon curved into a nostalgic smile.

"You kept it?"

She snatched it back shooting him a faux offended look and a half smile.

"Of course I kept it! Why wouldn't I keep it?"

She wandered around her living area, pausing here and there to place things into her box. A few small plants to bring some life into her new home, a couple of books and a framed photograph of the team. A necklace Greg had given her for her thirtieth birthday, a little Buddha statue and a row of 3 Elephants made from Jade.

She threw some clothes into a bag, picked out some choice pieces of jewellery and sat heavily on her bed. She slid open the drawer on her bedside cabinet, she kept all her most precious belongings there. The things she couldn't imagine living without, the things she needed to keep close by.

Letters from her mother, when she was young her mother used to write to her. They were sometimes just ramblings from the deepest recesses of her mind but a few of them were genuinely loving letters from a mother to a daughter.

Photographs, one in particular from her childhood. A supposedly happy family day out, one of the few images she had of her family together, smiling. There was a photograph of a very drunken night out with Greg, he thought it would be hilariously funny to capture the image and pin it to her locker the next shift. She had hastily removed it of course but it made her smile. It earned its place in her drawer. Her high school yearbook, while not a necessarily happy time, proved to remind her of how to overcome adversity. The pages were still crisp and unworn, she didn't hazard a glance in there often but when she did she was usually feeling a little lost, a little bewildered and in need of guidance. The innocent image of a very young Sara Sidle would soon bring her back to her path; soon remind her of how far she had come. There were a couple of letters from Grissom. From when they had first met and also from more recently, he liked to write to her. He struggled to talk to her sometimes, when it came down to speaking about his feelings he hit a brick wall. And yet when it came to putting pen to paper he wrote beautifully. His words were filled with emotion and love.

He sat down beside her on the bed, glancing at the letters she held in her hands.

"You kept those too?"

"You think it's stupid don't you?"

"No, I don't think it stupid at all. I think it's sentimental, endearing maybe. Not stupid."

He stroked her face gently, looking into her eyes with those entrancing sparkling blue eyes of his. She couldn't look away, couldn't help but move towards him as though she had been hypnotised. The letters were soon discarded on the floor all but forgotten as she melted into his arms.

She lay on the bed as he propped himself up on his elbow beside her, his hand gently rubbing her stomach.

"I thought I was the one with all the clutter"

"I'm only OCD on the outside; inside I'm an insatiable hoarder"

He kissed her lips softly and slowly, hovering over her lips and looking into her eyes for a few long moments.

"I keep things too, I keep everything"

"I hope you're exaggerating Gil, because that could really be a problem"

She had images running through her brain of opening one of his closets and being hit by a wall of clutter. Everything he had every owned snowing her under and pouring out of its confined space like ants from an anthill.

"I mean special things"

She was suddenly aware of how close their bodies were, how they monopolised such a small patch of the bed. His fingers were making patterns on the skin of her stomach, dancing along the waistband of her trousers suggestively. He could always make her heart flutter, even after such a long time she would still react like a nervous schoolgirl to his affections.

He leaned down towards her, placing soft kisses on her neck.

"I can't imagine what things you would find special enough to keep Gil"

He pulled back slightly to look in her eyes, a small smile turning his lips and softening his eyes.

"You already saw my photograph. I kept the ticket stubs from the show we saw, I kept all your letters. I still have the photo from the county fair rollercoaster. I have a Buddha you gave me…."

He didn't continue with his list, he didn't need to. She was showering him with kisses, enthusiastic passionate kisses. She couldn't say she was really surprised he was a closet romantic. He was terribly skilled at making her weak at the knee's with ease. She was surprised, however, that he was so incredibly sentimental. She was also beginning to realise that her assumption that he hadn't noticed her for all the years prior to their relationship was wrong. He had noticed her alright; he had cherished her albeit from afar. Still she couldn't resist teasing him on his revelation.

"Geez, Griss you're practically stalking me!"

"I bet Greg has more, I can just picture the shrine in his bedroom now"

"Let's leave him out of this; he knows where I stand on that subject. I want to know about your collection"

"I'll show you when we get home. I don't need it now. I have the real thing"

She answered with a kiss as they settled into each other's arms; her hand stroked his chest fondly as she nuzzled into his shoulder.

"You always will"


	28. Chapter 28

There was a lot to be said for cherishing the small moments. For taking time out of the busy hectic lives everyone leads and really appreciating the small glimpses of satisfaction and bliss we are granted. This morning was one of those times where Grissom truly appreciated the beauty around him.

It wasn't very often he woke to birdsong; it was equally rare for him to wake with a beautiful woman in his arms. For a few moments he was bewildered by the entire scenario. Most of the times when Sara had actually stayed for the entire night she would be awake long before him, scouring his ample book collection and curling up on his sofa in the small hours because she couldn't sleep. The novelty of waking beside her was not lost on him as he watched her eyelashes flicker through her dreams, her chest rising and falling and her hair gently falling over her face to skim the soft skin of her cheek.

The sunrise bathed the room in a soft orange glow, he would normally have twisted the blinds closed to block out all signs of life before going to bed. He would normally have the windows firmly latched closed and the air conditioning humming into the room with its soothing drone. He was, however, still very much in holiday mode. His body clock was all wrong for going back to work tonight; Sara's would be too the only thing for it was a hearty breakfast and a walk in the sunshine.

He heaved himself out of the bed and stretched his body with a groan. He glanced down at Sara, still sleeping soundly in the bed and pulled the soft blankets around her bare shoulders gently as he padded out of the room with a grunting Hank at his heels.

"Good boy, let's make some breakfast"

The cupboards were completely bare, the refrigerator vacant of food aside from a huge bone Grissom had acquired from the butcher before he had left for Catherine's. He sighed as he glanced back towards the bedroom; this was her first morning waking up in her new home. In their home. He wanted to make it special and he didn't even have the foresight to go to the grocery store on the way home.

"Looks like we're going for a walk"

Hank recognised the statement and began jumping around and snorting excitedly. Grissom tried to shush him, he tried to calm him down but Sara appeared at the bedroom door in her silk robe with a smile. His eyes slowly cast over her long smooth legs, the robe gaping open ever so slightly around her chest as she slowly rubbed her neck in an attempt to wake her tired muscles. He couldn't help but react; she was truly a vision in the morning. Her hair soft and unruly around her face, the dewy sleepy eyes she regarded the world with and her fresh pink skin. This is when he loved to watch her most, when she was in her natural relaxed state.

"He gets excited easily"

Her eyes scanned his body and she gave him a half smile.

"Apparently he's not the only one…"

"Well I'm capable of controlling my urge to jump around and slobber"

He was not, however, capable of controlling his urge to go to her and run his hands through her hair as he kissed her gently and passionately.

"There's a bakery on the corner, I'll go get us the full continental"

She feigned disappointment as he pulled away from her to pick up Hanks lead. The boxer upped his bouncing around Grissom's feet to running rings around him as he tried to clip his lead to his collar.

"I was looking forward to Gil Grissom's speciality pancakes. I guess I'll get dressed"

Her statement warranted an eyebrow raise from him as he stood from his position beside a now obedient Hank.

"Don't you dare, I'll be back in 5 minutes with Vegas' finest pastries"

She slipped a book out of the bookcase and flopped back on his favourite leather recliner, crossing her legs seductively in his direction. It took all his willpower not to join her on the chair but his tummy was rumbling and his dog was heaving him towards the door.

"Hold that thought Miss Sidle; I shall be back post haste"

Hank heaved him out into the morning sunshine, his face involuntarily scrunching up in the harsh daylight. There seemed to be people everywhere, he was normally sleeping at this time. Vampire like in his habits he usually ventured out when the sun had retired and the artificial lights of the streetlamps lit his way. He wasn't used to people, people rushing this way and that in their haste to get to wherever they were going.

Hank marched on regardless of the swarms of people, headed for the rich glorious smells of the Bakery on the corner he had spoken of. It was Hank who had found this place, Hank who had pulled him directly into a stand full of cupcakes on their first walk together. It was lucky for him that the elderly woman who owned the shop was very kind and very much a fan of poetry. A cup of tea and a couple of quotes was all it took to guarantee him a free pass to the best pastries in Vegas. Or so he was led to believe anyway.

"There's my Hank, are you here for your cupcake boy?"

He always wondered how she knew just when they would be arriving. It didn't seem to matter what time of day or night he turned up at her store she would be there with Hanks favourite cupcake in her hand and a huge smile on her face.

"You in for your usual Gilbert?"

She reminded him of his mother, he wasn't very sure whether that endeared him to her or made him nervous but it did spark a plan in his mind with regards to Sara. If she could cope with Mrs Ingram from the bakery then he was sure she could cope with Betty Grissom.

"I've got a house guest Hilda, you better double it up"

She looked genuinely shocked as she stacked his order neatly into a box. The store was busy and yet she marched him straight to the front without a word.

"A house guest? You mean a girl? ….. A woman?"

He didn't say anything in response he didn't have to she was a wise lady and she had been asking him for weeks about the mystery woman she suspected. Her eyes scanned every inch of his face for clues.

"You should shave you know, for your lady friend"

She paused to overlook him once more, her tongue skimming over her front teeth.

"And take her on a proper date, I know you haven't. You've had that poor girl holed up haven't you?"

He was constantly shocked by the amount this woman knew about him. He wondered briefly whether she had surveillance installed outside his apartment specifically so that she could leave him stunned like this.

"Take her on a proper date dear, she's a flower. She needs sunlight to grow."

She turned away from him with a wink, leaving him holding the box as she turned to the next customer. Hank was getting restless outside, there were two small children waving a stick at him and Grissom knew that if they threw said stick Hank would unhinge the entire display to go and fetch it. He hastily retreated outside to rescue his dog and return to the 'flower' waiting in his apartment. He had a nagging feeling Hilda was right.

It was about time he brought Sara out into the sunshine.


End file.
